#kaito has the best suit here there is no competition

[ronpatrash]

more anniversary outfit art!!

#danganronpa v3 #saimomoharu #kaito has the best suit here there is no competition #art by me #ndrv3

[justiceraffles]

About the Gosho Boys and literary crime fiction

This is a lengthy text wall in which I ramble about detectives. It started out with me thinking about the Gosho boys and their relationship with classic mystery fiction and literary/fictional detectives and it ended up derailing into a Hakuba rabbit hole in which I overanalyse details pointlessly for hours because I guess that is simply how most of my free time is spent.

(Fair warning that this is probably ridden with mistakes because I am capable of only 1.3 thoughts at a time)

So, when it comes to Shinichi, Heiji and Kaito, they all have a literary character from classic detective fiction that they’re closely associated with. Namely, it’s Sherlock Holmes for Shinichi, Ellery Queen for Heiji, and Arsène Lupin for Kaito. The relationship they hold with each of these figures (and with crime fiction in general) is very different, but it’s quite telling of their personality, character, their relationship with literature, and their respective approach to their profession. I talk about each of them a little bit and then just spend half the time talking about Hakuba. 

Shinichi is born in a household where mystery fiction is extremely important. He is surrounded by this type of story and his parents nurture this interest actively. Detectives and mysteries permeate his life wholly. For Shinichi, Holmes is seen as the maximum exponent of a genre. Holmes is The Great Detective. The archetype, the one that defines what it means to be a detective and the one later writers will seek to emulate one way or another. Detective fiction is what it is today because of Holmes, so it makes complete sense for Shinichi to have him as his idol. Holmes is what he strives to be and it’s what people associate him with. 

Heiji is a lot more subtle than Shinichi is, but he is also very much a lit nerd. Ellery Queen is both a character and a pseudonym for the writers that created him. As a character, Ellery Queen is such a perfect choice for Heiji’s favourite detective. He’s a mystery writer who doubles as a sleuth and helps his father, a police inspector, in solving crimes. Wonder if that sounds familiar, huh. Aside from similarities in the character (I could go on about some passages that have such strong Heiji vibes I’d be here forever) the Queen novels challenge the reader very directly. They tell you to pay attention, that you are presented with the exact same clues as the detective and should therefore be able to solve the mystery as well. The mystery story is a competition and the author issues a challenge by presenting it to the reader. I love this because Heiji has a huge competitive streak, and this is highlighted from his introduction. To find that the stories he’s passionate about also encourage this side of him is just so fitting and appropriate. 

The case where Shinichi and Heiji meet always makes me think of the contrast between reading a Holmes novel and a Queen story. Personally, I feel like the enjoyment of a Holmes story often relies on letting yourself be awed by the deduction. You can follow along with the mystery but a big part of the charm is based on the detective himself and the way he explains the thought process that leads him to his conclusion. You’re meant to sit down and enjoy as Holmes explains himself, and admire his brilliance. There’s a focus on the truth and the way to reach it, which is very, very Shinichi. A Queen novel, on the other hand, invites you to play along as you read. You are on equal standing with the detective, and it’s up to you to reach the same conclusion he does. These are the principles of “fair-play” in mystery fiction. As it implies, it is very much a game! So Heiji challenging Shinichi to a battle of wits and deductions goes perfectly in line with what he’s reading. Holmes is the genius detective you look up to with admiration, Queen is a sleuth that invites you to solve the crime alongside him. These suit the vibes that Shinichi and Heiji give off themselves very well. 

Kaito is much, much different for obvious reasons. He’s not a detective, and he’s not nearly as much of a mystery geek as the others are. The entire KID persona is closely associated with Arséne Lupin because Toichi fashions it accordingly. Even if phantom thieves aren’t quite the same as Leblanc’s original idea for the Gentleman Burglar, they still have a clear origin in Lupin and there’s important similarities to be made between them. Storytelling-wise, KID heists work on the same principles as Lupin stories. You know the criminal is there, hidden amongst the cast presented to you, and you know he will carry out the crime. And, regardless of whether you have an inkling of an idea of how he’s going to pull it off or not, you still allow yourself to be amazed by his methods regardless when the trick is revealed! Even when the schemes are outlandish and border on the fantastical and unbelievable, the stories are best enjoyed when you suspend your disbelief and allow the plots and characters to be over the top. But well, the connection between Lupin and KID is fairly self-explanatory. So, rather than KID, I think it’s more interesting to think about the relationship between Lupin and Kaito himself.  

Kaito doesn’t seek to be seen as a modern day-Lupin in the same way Shinichi wants to be a modern day-Holmes. Unlike Shinichi who becomes a detective in great part because he has Holmes as his idol, Kaito doesn’t become a thief because of his admiration towards a literary character, but because of his love and admiration towards his father. Kaito dons the KID suit with pride because it’s something his father left behind, and he embraces each part of it because it can lead to answers and understanding. But, always cryptic, Lupin doesn’t provide a whole lot of answers and understanding, and neither does Toichi. Lupin admits that he struggles to recognise himself under all the disguises and roles he has played. The truth behind his father’s character seems to become more elusive the more Kaito becomes involved with thievery. The “gentleman thief” persona, despite being charming and theatrical, has consequences on a personal life. 

...And then there’s Hakuba. 

Hakuba is complicated. 

But, Raffles! You say, Saguru is another Sherlock geek!

Well, yes. Of course he is. The deerstalker outfit and him naming his hawk Watson make that clear. Hakuba is an absolute Holmes nerd. 

I’m here to read too deeply into it when it’s most definitely not that deep at all. But, there’s never enough information about Hakuba and I have a blast overthinking stuff. So that’s what we’re gonna do! 

Despite obviously being a big fan, Hakuba’s relationship with Holmes is different from that of Shinichi’s. 

First, we don’t get to see Hakuba nerding out about Holmes novels and stories in the same way Shinichi does. He doesn’t quote Holmes at length or go on about how much he loves the books. Instead, we know Hakuba’s a nerd because he’s apparently passionate enough about this character to include things associated with him into his own personal image and identity.

Second, there’s the way others perceive him. Shinichi and Kaito (as KID) get “Heisei Holmes” and “Reiwa Lupin”. Despite irking a couple officers every now and again, Heiji is held in high regard and considered a great detective by the police force. Hakuba has a considerable amount of fame, but he doesn’t receive the same amount of trust people place on Shinichi and Heiji. It’s easy to forget because Hakuba acts with a lot of confidence and familiarity around crime scenes, but several of his appearances highlight the way his presence is tolerated at heists because of his father’s influence and is generally seen as an outsider. The police take orders from Shinichi and look up to him for advice— it’s not quite the same with Hakuba. More often than not, Nakamori treats Hakuba like a visitor or observer than a consulting detective. All of this rambling to say that even though he presents himself that way, Hakuba isn’t (or, at least, isn’t seen as) the Holmes he admires.  

So, if not Holmes, is there anyone that suits Hakuba better?

I’d say yes and no. 

As far as I can recall, the series never makes any explicit comparisons or references to other detectives when Hakuba is concerned. That said, much like you’d associate the deerstalker and Watson to Holmes, Hakuba has some other quirks and behaviours reminiscent of other detectives. Now, I’m not here to say that Hakuba was made deliberately as a compilation of references to literary detectives. These similarities are admittedly mostly coincidences. That said, deliberate or not, I think an argument can still be made that the connections exist! And well, considering the lack of concrete information about Saguru, thinking about them is fun. So this is what I think: 

One of Hakuba’s most prominent quirks is his fixation with time and exactitude. His pocket watch is a memorable prop and being precise about minutes and seconds is an important part of his character. You can find very similar behaviour in Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, who also carries a pocket watch around and is extremely particular about punctuality and numbers. Another thing interesting about Poirot is that he’s most interested in the psychology behind a crime, in understanding the mindset of the killer. Poirot mysteries have each of the suspects explaining their own version of events, because the detective wants to understand everyone’s version of perceiving the truth. In other words, Poirot mysteries have a focus on the whydunnit. 

You can probably tell that now I’m going to gesture wildly at Hakuba’s “Why did you do it”

Speaking of Hakuba’s signature question, it’s probably also worth mentioning the Father Brown stories by G.K Chesterton. The sleuth is a catholic priest, and after his deduction and identifying the culprit, the stories usually end with the priest spending time with the criminal. Before an arrest is made, Father Brown has a private meeting with the killer (or thief). It’s implied that this is carried out as a personal confession of sins, and expresses a need to seek out an understanding of the motive as perceived by the criminal themselves. 

I say this because the catchphrase does come off as a little strange. It’s curious that Hakuba asks why when we usually expect the detective to be able to sort it out by himself. But, it’s really not that strange to find equivalents to it in stories that focus on the psychological part of the crime and empathy towards them. 

(Also worth mentioning that both Christie and Chesterton were presidents of the Detection Club, a group of writers during the golden age of detective fiction that based their stories around the concept of “fair-play” that I mentioned earlier when I was talking about Heiji.  

Back on track: Hakuba and Poirot share key similarities. 

HOWEVER! There are also differences between them. I’m referring to the fact that Poirot puts the most emphasis on this psychological level of a crime. Poirot says “I am not one to rely upon the expert procedure. It is the psychology I seek, not the fingerprint or the cigarette ash” On the other hand, I’d argue that out of all of the Gosho boys, Hakuba is the most fastidious about procedure. He has some level of knowledge of forensic investigation and places importance upon it.

Sherlock’s methods do draw inspiration from precursors of forensic science, so you could trace it back to that. You could also go to R. Austin Freeman’s Dr. John Thorndyke, who is inspired by Holmes, but places a heavier focus on the scientific method behind deductions. Thorndyke is probably the one to properly kickstart the forensic/medical sleuth subgenre that grows later with the improvement and development of DNA evidence and technology. We have Hakuba being observant enough to find one of KID’s hairs, and then use Hakuba labs to narrow his identity down. It doesn’t resemble Poirot’s methods, it also isn’t quite Sherlockian, but it does resemble other classic british sleuths!

OKAY, COOL. WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH THIS RAFFLES. 

I’M NOT REALLY SURE! I NEVER KNOW WHAT I’M DOING! I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT HAKUBA AND DETECTIVE STORIES. 

Alright. This is more of a personal interpretation/headcanon than anything else, but unlike the other three Gosho boys, who have one  clear inspiration/basis/model, I like the idea of Hakuba reading a vast array of detective novels and picking up the little habits, methods, that he finds interesting or comforting. The deerstalker, the name for his hawk, his pocketwatch, his signature question, his methods, his knack for competition, all of them handpicked from the things that he enjoys most about detectives. 

It’s also worth mentioning that all of the authors for these stories I’m associating with Hakuba are British. The thought of him being passionate about English authors as a way to understand his English side of the family is a headcanon I quite enjoy. And, technically, the same could apply to his Japanese side as well. I can imagine young Saguru reading Rampo’s Kogoro Akechi stories and also wanting a rival like the Fiend of Twenty Faces and jumping at the chance of chasing KID because how much he resembles the character. Or appreciating Akako’s cryptic clues because Rampo’s fiction also has supernatural edge to it. 

I don’t know. I just like the idea of Saguru learning about the world, his family, and himself through literature? This is pure, unapologetic self-indulgence on my part, I have to admit. 

Though, if I HAD to assign one specific detective to Saguru, I think it would probably be Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin. Poe’s stories with the character as seen as the start of detective fiction, and Dupin serves as the prototype for detectives to come — even Holmes, even if he doesn’t get nearly as much recognition as Conan Doyle’s detective today. Despite the fact that Hakuba is the original teenage detective in the series, and he’s also often forgotten and neglected by both Gosho and a big portion of the fandom. Even so, he paved the way for Shinichi and Heiji, and is very important regardless. 

Anyway! I don’t know why I wrote this and I am now very embarrassed but thanks for reading all the way!

#In which Raffles rambles #I am a very boring person and this is what I do for fun #Do you think my professors would accept Hakuba as a valid topic for a research thesis? #I am very bad at this #this is embarrassing #dcmk #gosho boys #hakuba saguru #saguru hakuba #shinichi kudo #hattori heiji #conan edogawa #Kuroba Kaito #kaitou kid #detective conan #magic kaito #detective fiction

[snowthefirst]

Tenmaki Week, Day 5

A/N: It was not my intention to only do the odd-numbered days of this week, but it happened like that. But I hope everyone has been enjoying my contributions regardless! As always, the fic is under the cut. @danganronpa-week

Day 5: Working Out/Staying In

As soon as Tenko approached her with a smile on her face, Maki knew it was going to be trouble.  “I don’t want to do my daily exercises inside today. I think it would be nice to go out to a gym,” Tenko said. “And really push myself to the limits!”  “Then go. I’m not your keeper,” Maki said. “You don’t have to ask me for permission.” 

“You’re coming with me, of course! And so are Kaito and Shuichi!” Tenko said cheerfully. “It would be fun to see who is strongest between us!”  “I have no issue working out, but I’m not going to engage in a pointless competition,” Maki said firmly. “I’ll go, but I won’t be competing.” “Then you can help keep track of the results,” Tenko said, already heading to the fridge to get bottled water. “But I’ll be happy to have you there!” Maki felt a familiar heat in her cheeks. Tenko really did have too much energy for her own good. 

* “So you want to challenge the Luminary of the Stars. Alright, I have no problem with that,” Kaito said, punching his fits together. “But I won’t go easy on you!” 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to compete against the two of you,” Shuichi said nervously. “May I be excused?”  “Nonsense, Shuichi! As my sidekick, my victories are your victories!” Kaito declared.  Maki shook her head, even as she had a fond smile on her face. Her life had become cluttered with optimistic idiots, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Let’s begin, then! Let’s use those, “Tenko said, pointing to the nearby set of bench presses. “Whoever is able to lift the most weight wins!” 

“I’ll be here to judge the results, and spot for anyone that is struggling,” Maki added. 

“I’m confident you’ll do well, Maki Roll!” Kaito went over to a bench press, with Shuichi and Tenko following suit. The three of them stack weights on the bar above them, and after a pause, they lifted the bar in the air.  With a glance, Maki was able to tell the results. Shuichi, unsurprisingly, was in last. “A hundred pounds... definitely more than you’ve been able to do before.” That at least gave Shuichi a confidence boost. 

Next, Maki checked Kaito. “A hundred and eighty pounds... that’s a lot for a first round.”  “Of course! I said I wasn’t going to hold back, so this is my best!”  Finally, Maki checked Tenko. “A hundred and fifty pounds... unfortunately, that’s only enough for second place.”  Instead of being disappointed or angry, Tenko seemed determined. “I should have realized that I’d lose this round! My arm strength isn’t the best. But that means I’ll try harder next time!”

“At least you have enough self-awareness to realize this... even if lifting weights was your idea in the first place.” Maki said, amused. 

“I agree, that’s a good attitude to have,” Shuichi said. “There’s always room for self improvement.” The three of them put down the weights, leaving the bench press. “Next, we’re running on the treadmills! I’m confident that I’ll win this time!” Tenko exclaimed. 

As they moved elsewhere in the gym, Maki felt that if this were going to be trouble, at least it would be enjoyable trouble. 

#danganronpa #fanfiction #tenko chabashira #maki haruwaka #Tenmaki

[ad-cn]

^This link goes to the tweet thread by @lystrialle that describes in more detail about the news.

The tweets are transcribed below. It’s a long thread.

lystrialle:

All right, here's a long incoming thread from your girl here about what "Miku no longer being a Vocaloid" means for the benefit of those not as deeply in the circuit, and why that's actually not as terrifying or world-ending as it sounds (bear with me)

So as much as "Hatsune Miku" has been considered synonymous with "Vocaloid" for a long time now, that wasn't actually the case from a technical standpoint. Miku and co. are licensed VBs from Crypton that worked off the Vocaloid engine from Yamaha.

This is basically akin to how a lot of virtual instruments run on the Kontakt sampler, or how games run on different consoles. These analogies are gonna get real important in a bit, so hang tight.

Unfortunately, Crypton having to be dependent on Yamaha's engine for their products meant they were subject to a lot of very strict limitations Yamaha was imposing on any company licensing from them. Most infamously, Yamaha doesn't actually allow VB devs to roll out patches for any VBs they release -- "updates" have to be separate products.

At one point in 2008 Crypton infamously had to get around their dissatisfaction with the newly released Rin and Len by literally mailing a copy of a disc with a new version of the DBs (act2), legally registered as a "new product" offered for free to those with the old version. 

This means that Crypton (and all other companies) were basically very limited in how they could push out updates, when they could do so, and in what way they could configure their DBs. 

Most significantly, ever since V3, the Vocaloid editor now has its own price tag on it.

It's been getting more and more difficult to get in as a beginner, and that's been a severe point of concern for the community as of late. V5 has a price tag in the literal hundreds and has hefty CPU requirements, and is out of reach for a lot of beginners... and so that means if Crypton wanted to update any of their DBs, they would be obligated to release it as a V5 release, which would mean *removing* compatibility with older versions and basically trapping it to be linked to the most expensive editor iteration to date.

Here's a bit of a history diversion: when Crypton's first V3 came out (KAITO V3, February 2013), it came bundled with a little thing called "Piapro Studio", which at the time was basically just a reskinned Vocaloid engine. But it was notable because it meant prospective new buyers of KAITO V3 (and future Crypton relases) weren't technically bound to buying Yamaha's editor for the product to be usable.

More notably, Crypton thereafter stopped using the word "Vocaloid" to describe Miku and co., instead terming them "Piapro Characters". For those of you DIVA players: have you ever noticed how they very much have always been dodging the word "Vocaloid" in places it wasn't already grandfathered in?

Yeah, this has probably been incoming for a very long time ago. 

Two years ago, in April 2017, Twindrill (the entity managing UTAU Kasane Teto) sent some Teto samples to Crypton just to hear how it sounded in Vocaloid. When wat (an engineer at Crypton) played around with it, he promptly complained that Teto lost all of her identity in the Vocaloid editor, and shortly after suddenly had a huge burst of inspiration for development of technology that might significantly enhance all their vocal banks.

Yesterday, at the same press conference that announced all this, he showed off what seems to be the result of this. The press conference described technology that would be uniformly applied to all six of their vocals and enhance their expressive capabilities and clarity, and a bunch of vocal processing helper tools... all of which would be impossible to implement in Yamaha's Vocaloid.

The point eventually made was that the reason for the split was simply that Crypton's goals and more ambitious plans for their products simply wouldn't be doable within the constraints of Vocaloid and V5. They plan to continue working with Yamaha and the community, of course. 

In effect the analogy is best described as a Kontakt instrument deciding to take itself off Kontakt and run off its own sampler, or Monster Hunter not being on Sony consoles anymore. The substance will continue to exist, even if the platform is different.

So what does this mean for all of us? For the users, this is a Very Big Deal, because the assumption that anything would be obligated to Yamaha is now broken and Crypton is now capable of whipping out a lot of things they never were able to before. It'll probably be cheaper, which is important for beginners, and the user will have more options to choose from. People who want to use Miku, or Rin or Len, or whoever will still be able to get them, and they'll still be in active development. 

People who want to use the others in the Vocaloid editor will still be able to (in fact, I still don't have that much issue with personally using V5). Moreover, the fact Miku is probably the only thing with more name value than the word Vocaloid means that there's now precedent for competition and for other companies to consider ways going forward that don't necessarily have to involve Yamaha's monopoly in it.

For the listeners, what'll change is... probably not that much, to be honest.

Of course a new engine probably means it'll sound a bit different, and hopefully better. And Crypton fans at least will have to get used to eschewing expectations of updates coming around only with new iterations, new designs coming out at X time, or whatever. But it's unlikely this change will have a huge impact on how producers do things, and so, Miku will still be Miku, the others will still be the others.

And finally, what this means for the community: well, currently we're having a crisis on what to call ourselves after having called ourselves the "Vocaloid" community for so long 😅

But while this is certainly the most drastic incident on face value, there have already been different engines in this community for years now. I started off as an UTAU user. CeVIO is getting bigger, and 1st PLACE is dabbling in it. SynthV just came out and is up and coming. GYARI is making headlines with Voiceroid songs. We're still one community.

Because yeah, in the end... people are still probably going to do what they're gonna do. Miku is still Miku. Vocaloid is still Vocaloid. People are still gonna create, the end result will be similar, it's just the methodology that's changing.

In fact, most of the fellow users I know are very excited about this because it opens up a ton of possibilities. I personally am very, *very* interested in how this is gonna go (especially if I end up saving money in the end!).

Moreover, the new technologies showed off at the press conference were very exciting, and Crypton's also demoing a new music search service that inherits Piapro and KarenT's philosophy of being open towards competitor software. They're *very* aware that the community operates best when they're able to mix and match and choose what products suit them best, and that trying to stop that would be shooting themselves in the foot. 

So while I do of course still have some degree of uncertainty, I'm sure we're gonna be fine. 

So, yes! It sounds crazy and it sounds like a blow to our sentimental value of the reality we know being turned on our heads! But as someone who's been here for near exactly ten years, I honestly welcome this development as something that could take our community further.

So I hope that clears it up for anyone potentially confused. Thank you for bearing with this 😊

#LONG POST #VOCALOID #Hatsune Miku #Crypton Future Media #Piapro #I got the go-ahead from the OP to post this #Reference #Yamaha

[penprp]

On P5/DCMK...

I saw a very interesting post earlier that compared P5 and Detective Conan/Magic Kaito, drawing parallels between Hakuba and Kasumi, and between Akechi and Shinichi. (Not reblogging because the OP does not need my word vomit clogging up their dash.) I’m going to have to say that honestly, I see it the other way around-- Akechi is Hakuba and Kasumi is Shinichi. I suspect the OP has seen a bit more of the Royal trailers than I have, of course… but I’m gonna do a bit of a deep dive into Hakuba and Shinichi’s character evolutions first, and then explain the way I see the correspondence. I know the OP was focusing almost totally on their relationships to Joker... but I’m going to nerd out a bit further.

Okay, so it all starts back in the late 80’s with the manga Magic Kaito. Aoyama’s first manga series, if you can believe that. Magic Kaito introduces us to Kuroba Kaito, teenage magician, prankster, and occasional pervert. (It was manga in ‘87, that was practically required.) He slapsticks his way through a school day, and then discovers that his father, long dead in an accident, was the legendary thief Kaitou Kid! But Kaitou Kid is holding a heist tonight! Kaito crashes, dressed in his dad’s old costume and learns that his father’s accident was actually murder, and swears to bring the culprits to justice. So right away, we’ve got the tone set-- a lot of slapstick and silly humor, with the occasional dramatic suckerpunch hitting when you don’t so much expect it.

That goes on for two volumes, with mostly silly stories about Kid escaping an army of robot surveillance cameras, Kid helping a little boy deal with bullies, Kid dealing with an honest-to-god witch who’s attempting to put him under her spell, Kaito and Aoko hunting ghosts that turn out to be a teacher trying to hide his research into hair growth formula… you get the idea. Then in 88, Kid went on hiatus, as Aoyama had moved onto his next manga, Yaiba!

Then we hit 1994. Yaiba has just ended, as has a short baseball-themed series called Yoban Saado, and so Aoyama comes back to Kid. His drawing style has evolved and so has his storytelling-- seven years of continuous work will do that to you. There’s still a lot of slapstick and silliness, but the drama has tightened up its act and is now setting snares for you instead of just punching you and running off laughing. It’s in this period of time that we meet Hakuba Saguru.

I should pause at this moment to say that Aoyama Gosho has some of the strongest special interests I have ever seen in a mangaka. The man loves Sherlock Holmes, Arsene Lupin, stage magic, and baseball, not necessarily in that order. He also loves working in a semi-unified world. Yaiba ended with a character announcing that “Kuroba and Nakamori,” IE, Kaito and his best friend Aoko, were finally going out. The new volume has a chapter in which Kid goes up against Yaiba in one of the most ridiculously slapstick things the series has done at this point. Remember this for later.

So into this mess comes Hakuba Saguru, transfer student. Hakuba’s role, as suits the slightly more focused and dramatic tone of the series in this volume, is to be an antagonist slightly more competent than Nakamori. His initals make him a reference to Herlock Sholmes, but as he’s half-British, reading his name in the Western fashion does evoke Sherlock Holmes. Really, at this point, Saguru is not narratively one particular reference as he is The Detective-As-Antagonist. He’s handsome, smug, confident, charming, brilliant, and basically a rival to Kaito in every arena, from school to romance to their nightly activities. His very first appearance has him ignoring the trick that the rest of the police fall for, forcing Kid to step up his game. Not long after that, he actually manages to realize that Kuroba Kaito is Kaitou Kid, and comes up with a clever plan to prove it. Unfortunately, he’s still in the Magic Kaito manga, and thus is thwarted by a witch riding in on her broom. (It makes sense in context.)

It’s towards the end of this volume that Kid learns of the gem Pandora, the reason his father was murdered, and vows to find the gem himself and destroy it. At this point, Kid switches from stealing various interesting baubles to targeting gems and only gems.

… And cue Detective Conan, which has been running for, as of this writing, twenty-five years. (Dear God.) This introduces us to Kudou Shinichi, detective and Sherlock Holmes otaku extraordinaire. One of the first things we learn about Shinichi is that he is incredibly privileged. (He’s also a huge dork, but I digress.) He’s handsome. He’s rich. His parents love him, but they’re out of the country, leaving him to live on his own with a ridiculous degree of freedom. He has cases to stimulate him. He’s a brilliant detective whom the police and media adore. The kids at school love him, though none can really be considered his friends except Mouri Ran, his best friend. Shinichi’s biggest problem in life is that Ran has a nasty habit of cracking concrete with her fists when he says something insensitive. Later flashbacks and retcons tell us that Shinichi, while he can be hugely thoughtless, is nevertheless instantly ready to throw all of that power and privilege behind protecting the weak and the innocent. He’s just… better with victims and witnesses than he is with normal social interaction.

Contrast this with Hakuba, who while, yes, he’s rich and charming and his father has enormous social and political pull as the Superintendent of the police... he’s still half-white. And thus will always be, on some level, an outsider. Neither manga does a lot with this, but it is still there.

Then he witnesses a drug deal, gets shrunk into an elementary-schooler, and it all goes down the tubes. Shinichi starts off as being very much like Hakuba-- or rather, Hakuba was a sort of proto-Shinichi. But Shinichi has twenty-five years of appearances and is the protagonist, so he gets the kind of character development Hakuba could only dream of. Shinichi loses almost everything and has to build it anew, without the privilege he had to begin with. In the process, he grows and changes, becoming more thoughtful and more appreciative, with less smugness and ego.

Into this world, Gosho decides to do one of his usual things, and drop Kaitou Kid in for a story. Holmes vs. Lupin, it’ll be fun, right? The fans ate it up, and so Kid became a regular guest star. After that, when doing Sunset Mansion, a story loosely based on Young Kindaichi’s “House of Wax” story, which involves a detective gathering, Hakuba Saguru was a natural choice. And here we come to one of Hakuba’s issues as a character.

It’s now the year 2000. Detective Conan, always more serious in tone than Magic Kaito, given the rampant murders, has progressed in the past six years. The art is better, the storytelling is more dramatic… And Hakuba’s previous narrative slot has been filled by Shinichi. What does Gosho do with him? I think a lot of the characterization that follows was Gosho trying to get a handle on who Hakuba IS, in a world where all the characters he played off of have changed so dramatically. In Sunset Mansion, he acts more like James Bond than either Herlock Sholmes or Sherlock Holmes. He’s handsome, charming, and dangerous, and while he’s not convinced of Kid’s essential benevolence, he is adamant that Kid is no killer.

Fast-forward to 2006. Hakuba shows up again for the Tantei Koshien, a detective competition that seems designed to play up the differences between Hakuba and Hattori Heiji, Conan’s best friend and fellow detective. This is quite possibly the most characterization Hakuba gets, and he’s… not shown in a great light. He’s scornful of Heiji’s impulsive nature and rash action, and lets his focus on thefts and frauds mislead him into identifying the wrong culprit. He takes his correction rather graciously, but hasn’t appeared in Detective Conan since.

And now it’s 2007. Kid is rabidly popular, enough that Gosho puts out another volume’s worth of Kaitou Kid chapters. Now that we’re back behind Kaito’s eyes, we see a combination of the goofy prankster in the earliest chapters and the smooth gentleman thief we’ve come to know in Conan’s tales. These stories are more tightly plotted, with more danger and escapes, the magic tricks used to set up a central “howdunit” for the chapter, and there’s a bit more character development. Kid also evinces more detective skills, as there’s often a mystery for him to get to the bottom of, as well as his own tricks for others to decipher. Hakuba makes a guest appearance, calling Kaito to give him information when he’s going head to head with another kaitou over a rare gem, and then shows up when Kid is threatened by a murderous thief named Nightmare. At the end of this case, he agrees with Kid in deliberately hiding the truth of Nightmare’s identity, as the man is dead and the truth would only hurt his family now.

Hakuba is still charming, flirty, and confident, and to be honest, still kind of smug. But now he’s being shown as someone capable of empathy, not a detective concerned only with the law, or even the truth. He’s come to understand that justice requires mercy. But we don’t get to see any of this happen, and he’s still only in a few pages in two stories out of five.

Hakuba and Shinichi both have complicated relationships with Kid that can’t be boiled down to “rival” and “enemy” quite so easily. The biggest difference, in my opinion, is that Hakuba is chasing Kid to catch and stop him, while Shinichi really sees Kid heists as a chance to match wits with an intellectual equal. Hakuba is concerned with Kid’s breaking the law, while  Shinichi seems to consider that mostly a non-issue, being focused more on beating Kid as almost a matter of pride. He’ll give it back and nobody died, no big deal. … That said, Hakuba’s characterization in spinoffs such as the Magic Kaito specials is leaning a bit more towards actual rivalry, but that’s because in that continuity, he has bigger spiders to fry.

So why did I go into all that? We don’t know much about Kasumi, but we know a lot about Akechi, so I’m going to start with him. Visually, he resembles Hakuba much more than Shinichi, with the perfectly pressed appearance, light hair, and visually adult fashion choices. He’s a media darling, and is incredibly charming. Beyond that, in all his interactions with the Phantom Thieves before his reveal, he is apart from them, even when assisting them. His outfit is brilliant white and gold, rather than the blacks and reds of most of the team. He even tells them that while he will help them clear their name of murder, they have to stop thieving. This is all very Hakuba. Of course, it’s all a mask, but even so… he wants to stop the Phantom Thieves. He’s tied into the forces of law and order, both in his mask persona and as Yaldabaoth’s pawn. (Law and Order being two different forces here… although maybe not so different as they seem.) He’s strongly drawn to Joker and winds up helping him, despite what his position and duties would suggest.

Kasumi is… well, we don’t really know. Visually, however, as a thief, she strongly resembles Joker. We’ve seen that she seems to act as a Phantom Thief, even if she’s quoted as saying that she doesn’t believe in their justice. (“Thieves are boring,” Conan scoffs, right before meeting a nutter in a white top hat.) A lot of her visual shots are set up to suggest a strong parallel between her and Joker, and there’s a possibility of her being yet another Wild Card. Kaito and Shinichi are canonically said to resemble each other strongly, and while this is probably partially Gosho making fun of the fact that all his hot teenage boys look alike… he’s said there is a deeper reason for it.

This is all speculation, of course. We won’t really know until the game comes out. (Can we get a Switch port Atlus? Please?)

[kuwaiti-kid]

The Best GameCube RPGs of All Time

Nintendo has repeatedly captured our attention with new addicting games and storylines to keep us entertained for more hours than we could ever fathom.

Each game system provided more than the last with its enhanced graphics and options. However, some systems have been left to be hidden gems of the past. Isn't it worth a little treasure hunt?

Nintendo Gamecube games had several fan favorites from Phantasy Star Online to Mega Man. However, The Gamecube was not always known for its RPGs, unlike its competition the time, the Playstation 2.

The role-playing games for the Gamecube fall into a multitude of different categories. With more focus on the hack and slash system than turn-based, they did not always follow traditional suits.

Want to check out those classics of the Gamecube?

We went ahead and created a list for you of the Best Gamecube role-playing games of all time!

The Best GameCube RPGs of All Time

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)

What would a Nintendo system be without a great installment of an awesome Mario based game?

For the Gamecube, we bring you Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a 2004 role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second game in the Paper Mario series.

The plot follows Mario's quest as he tries to retrieve the seven Crystal Stars and rescue Peach from the X-Nauts. Throughout their adventure, Mario and friends find help in a few items and places. You can heal your party at an inn and purchase items at a shop, collect coins by defeating enemies and buy new special abilities in a badge shop. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door also features a lot of different mini-games, such as a quiz show, a lottery, or the ability to control Bowser in a side-scrolling action sequence.

The Thousand-Year Door borrows many gameplay elements from its predecessor, such as a drawing-based art style, and a turn-based battle system with an emphasis on action. For the majority of the game, the player controls Mario, although Bowser and Princess Peach are playable at certain points.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door received critical acclaim for its gameplay and plot. Each chapter of the game provided a thrill of adventure that left you wanting more. Whether you are a vast Mario fan or not, I would give this one a go!

Tales of Symphonia (2003)

Tales of Symphonia deserves a spot on the list for its old-world charm and engaging battle system. It is the fifth main game in the Tales series and the eleventh game released in total. It is also the third game to be released in North America.

It follows the adventures of Lloyd Irving as he and his friends work to help Colette Brunel regenerate the world. The game begins in the world of Sylvarant, a land that is dying due to a steady loss of mana, an energy source that is needed both for magic and to support life itself.

To regenerate the world, the Chosen must travel from continent to continent, awakening the Summon Spirits that sleep at ancient shrines known as “seals.” With every seal released, the Chosen comes closer and closer to becoming an angel. Once the Chosen fully transforms into an angel, the world will be regenerated.

Tales of Symphonia uses a version of the Linear Motion Battle System. It is a real-time battle system called Multi-Line Linear Motion Battle System. Another feature of this battle system is Over Limit. Characters enter Over Limit mode after having obtained a certain number of tension points. For regular gameplay, when the party is on the world map, they can join battles by running into monsters visible on the field.

The interaction between the characters is delightful. It is also the first title in the Tales series to feature alternate costumes for the main protagonists. The battle system enhancements are a nice touch.

Overall, it is a game worth checking out for a nice casual playthrough.

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)

It took Nintendo almost a decade to complete, but they had finally created a new Zelda game that is so well designed and legendary it is worthy of top accolades.

Yes, we do know this game was released on both the Gamecube and later the Wii, but it hit the Gamecube first. This makes Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess more than worthy of being on our Gamecube top RPG list!

When the game opens to a sweeping view of Link as he rides Epona across a vast landscape, you can't help but have that nostalgic spirit of Ocarina's epic opening. The beginning parts of the game feel very much like a trip down Hyrule's memory lane as you explore the outskirts of the world.

However, the game also carves the old from the new by way of a compelling storyline that throws Nintendo's beloved hero into an alternate realm known as the Twilight. It is a Hyrulian wasteland presenting much darker undertones than that of the previous Zelda games.

Need more convincing? There are even moments when Link is transformed into a wolf.

For one, players who enjoyed titles like Wind Waker will understand immediately how to maneuver Link like a pro in Twilight Princess because the same fundamental controls still apply. The character is moved swiftly with the left analog stick, and the right opens access to the camera. The controls are simple and easily maneuvered.

Hands down, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a necessity on the must-play list.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (2005)

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance doesn't reinvent the wheel; it simply takes the best elements from all its predecessors and sprinkles some subtle yet positive enhancements on top.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, like its predecessors, is a very text-heavy RPG. The members of your growing party are characterized almost entirely by the opinions they express during conversations, learning about their motivations, relationships, and backgrounds is as important as seeing them evolve and kick tail in battle.

If you haven't jumped on the Emblem wagon yet, here's the series in a nutshell: Advance Wars in a medieval fantasy setting with a focus on single-character units and RPG elements.

The biggest changes in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance come from new man/beast hybrids, known as laguz. Laguz are lycanthropic humanoids that automatically turn into cats, birds, or dragons and back again after several turns.

While in animal form, the laguz are mighty fighters, but in human form, they are quite harmless. Apart from adding some exciting gameplay twists, the conflict between the laguz and the beorc (regular humans) also forms the center of the game's twisting storyline.

This is a tremendous classic tactical RPG series with plenty of installments to keep you entertained for many hours.

Skies of Arcadia Legends (2000)

If you are a fan of Pirates and Airships, you have come to the right place!

In Skies of Arcadia, Legends Players control Vyse, a young air pirate, and his friends as they attempt to stop the Valuan Empire from reviving ancient weapons with the potential to destroy the world.

As for the actual gameplay itself, it revolves around several different devices. It contains turn-based ground and air battles, airship-to-airship duels, and real-time 3D exploration. The magic system is also traditional. You will learn spells that draw on elemental powers such as fire, water, wind, and the like.

The way that you learn spells is somewhat unique. The entire process revolves around moonstones: green for health-related powers, red for fire, purple for ice, etc. These stones are tied into your weapons, giving them elemental attributes. Even better? The weapons can be switched on a whim!

If you enjoy having a series of games to play, this is a formidable contender for your RPG collection.

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (2003)

With Baten Kaitos, Monolith Software has crafted a beautiful and thoroughly engaging game filled with great characters, impressive visuals, and solid combat. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean is another fantastic installment to the series.

The story of Baten Kaitos takes place in a world of floating islands, at a time when people have evolved to the point of sprouting wings on their backs. The player assumes the role of a player-named, unseen “guardian spirit” who directly guides and communicates with the main protagonist Kalas.

Kalas is considered a bit of an outcast due to only have one wing, with the other being replaced by a mechanical wing.  He travels the world to seek revenge for the death of his grandfather and his little brother. Eventually, his priorities shift when he meets and travels with a young woman named Xelha, and accidentally releases one of the five End Magnus, loosening the seal on Malpercio.

The card-based inventory and battle system is one of the most talked-about features of Baten Kaitos. Instead of finding items and stuffing them in invisible storage space, you store them on blank Magnus cards. This makes for a unique and refreshing experience, as you only receive a limited number of these blank cards. This requires strategy, as you will not be able to utilize every item that you find.

With a unique storyline and battle system, this one is a must-play to add to your growing RPG list! If you enjoy this one, you will definitely enjoy our next one.

Baten Kaitos Origins (2006)

Baten Kaitos Origins takes place twenty years before the events of the first title, Baten Kaitos Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. It features younger versions of many characters from the previous entry, though none of the same playable characters.

The overall theme is that of a struggle between “pro-imagination” (the power of hearts, wings of the heart, and magic) and “pro-machination” (mechanical) forces. You play as the spirit within Sagi, a member of the empire's “Elite” force of fighters. Sagi heads off on a quest to determine the nature of a mysterious change that is appearing in the world.

The game plays very similarly to the first Baten Kaitos game, albeit with some changes and adjustments. They do still use the Magnus cards for the battle system with a slight change. The combat system is substantially different when compared to that of the original Baten Kaitos.

Instead of each character having their deck of Magnus cards, all characters use cards from a single deck and play from a single hand. Since most armor, weapons, and special attacks are specific to a given character, there are frequently times when one or two of the characters have only a minimal number of options.

The game also features several new locales, such as Sedna, a town that looks like it's made of childish clay sculptures, and Hassaleh, a new continent that did not appear in the first game. Sedna is composed of different Magnus pieces, which, as the player discovers and returns with the appropriate Magnus cards, spontaneously appear. As the town grows, the player can then interact with the new inhabitants.

If you enjoyed the first installment of Baten Kaitos, then I highly recommend playing the Baten Kaitos Origins installment as well!

Pokémon Colosseum (2004)

Pokemon Colosseum is an installment in the Pokemon RPG series that delved into making itself a bit edgier than the previous installments.

The game is set in the desert region of Orre. The player protagonist is Wes, a former member of Team Snagem. Throughout the game, the player rescues “Shadow Pokémon,” Pokémon, who have had their hearts darkened by Team Cipher, an antagonistic organization via snagging. Rui, a non-player character, serves as Wes's sidekick and identifies Shadow Pokémon.

Like previous games in the Pokémon RPG, the fighting in Pokémon Colosseum follows the same grid-based strategy of Pokémon types. Essentially, one type of Pokemon is stronger against other types of Pokemon.

This is where the fun, strategic element of battling comes from. With seventeen different types in the Pokémon Colosseum realm, it's essential to focus on who's stronger and weaker against whom. This can be a challenge when trying to build an appropriate team for battle.

The storyline on this one is better for those who are more interested in battling as opposed to intensely deep plots. If you are looking for some unique RPG entertainment, give being a Pokémon trainer a shot!

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (2003)

If you are an avid fan of the Final Fantasy franchise, then this game will be a slightly different twist from the usual!

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is an action role-playing game where players take control of a group of adventurers who travel the world searching for rare trees that produce “myrrh,” used to fuel crystals protecting the world's settlements from the poisonous Miasma.

One thousand years before the game's events, the world's sustaining Great Crystal was shattered by a meteorite carrying an alien lifeform called the Meteor Parasite. The Parasite generated a poisonous vapor called the Miasma, which kills anyone it touches. Fragments of the Great Crystal ward off the Miasma from surviving settlements, but require renewal using myrrh, energy harvested from magical trees using magical vessels protected by dedicated caravans.

The game does away with traditional experience points and instead focuses on action-oriented combat with a unique co-op slant. Up to three friends can join in on the quest by using Game Boy Advance units connected to the GameCube as controllers.

Crystal Chronicles can be a tremendously entertaining multiplayer game for those willing to work together. You do not have to be a follower of the franchise to enjoy playing this installment!

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (2002)

Are you a fan of Dungeons and Dragons? You will want to check this one out.

The game is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons, and the gameplay is based on the rules of Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition, which were released in 2000. It is the first video game to implement the real-time application of the new rules. It is also the first game in the Baldur's Gate series released on consoles as opposed to a PC or Mac.

You begin your adventure in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance by choosing from one of three different warriors: a human archer, a dwarven fighter, or an elven sorceress. The controls for each of these characters are identical. They all have similar abilities to run, jump, attack, use magic or special feats, and quaff restoration potions or healing potions using the left and right shoulder buttons, respectively, quickly restoring their magic energy or health.

The Dark Alliance game itself presents some stunning graphics and gameplay. If you are itching for a substantial RPG game storyline on the GameCube, then pick up a copy of Dark Alliance.

Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life (2004)

Believe it or not, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life is a farming simulator that has captured the hearts of many with its wholesome storyline. The whole purpose of the game itself is to live an extraordinary life.

Sound a bit mundane? Much in the same way as Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon's day to day chores, goals, and lifestyle will pull you in and leave you wanting to play at all hours. Not only do you harvest crops, but you must also have impeccable timing with all aspects of the game. It is essential to time the birth of farm animals, harvesting crops, balancing family life, and creating friendships with the townsfolk.

In Wonderful Life, the player's farm has three fields, with varying levels of fertility. Plants must be watered more than once per day and nourished with fertilizer to obtain high-quality fruits and vegetables. Each crop has its ideal growing season and will do poorly if planted at the wrong time of year. You will also obtain various types of cattle that will also require nurturing and care.

The simple gameplay mechanics, nurturing farm life, and feel good storyline will genuinely make you fall in love with this game. It may not be an intense, in-depth RPG, but it will leave you with a warm, happy feeling and a smile on your face.

Gamecube RPGs

The Gamecube may not have had the strongest RPG genre, but it honestly did have some beautiful additions.

What is worth taking note of is the multitude of different types and storylines that it does provide. Gamecube role-playing games offer everything from the dark and intense to the light and airy story concepts.

Now it is time to pull out your Gamecube so you can relive some of these classic tales! Which one will you try first?

Where Do I Purchase the Games?

DKOldies

LukieGames

eStarland

The post The Best GameCube RPGs of All Time appeared first on Your Money Geek.

from Your Money Geek https://ift.tt/3fYcNiO via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Your Money Geek