Forum - View topic(The) Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel - Northern War (TV).
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b-dragon
Posts: 468 |
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Well, we at least get to see young Sara, so that's nice, I still prefer drinking buddy Sara. As for this episode, I mostly felt it unnecessary setup. Still, there are some nice bits- what happened to Lavi's grandfather, Martin agreeing to help Lechter. But it feels like mostly treading water to me.
I feel like thematically, this show wants to talk about being a "hero". What it costs, what it allows, its freedoms and its cages. That's...potentially interesting. If it's executed well. The main series touches on it, but I didn't really feel like its lingered upon, at least by the localized games to this point. But here...well, if they want to, there could be something interesting to say between Rean and Lavi (and Sara, honestly- if they go that route). There are a fair number of pieces I expect will be important, but I do want to give the show a chance to explain itself before jumping in. Instead, I'm going to talk about Rean a bit-he's a pretty important character, but I'm not sure the narrative will actually explore his situation at this point. I think I'll format myself by not hiding behind spoilers what I think the characters would find out with a bit of investigation (close to common knowledge in-setting.) In spoilers, I'll put things that the games up til this point chronologically will tell- though I have no intent of spoiling every or even most facets of the larger plot. Hopefully that works. Anyway. Rean Schwarzer, the "Ashen Chevalier" is the protagonist of all 4 Cold Steel games, so there's a lot here to talk about that I'm not actually going to touch. He is the adopted son of a baron. If you recall the episode with the hot springs? Thats the area his father is baron of- and the citizens do seem to think rather fondly of the family. He attended a military school- those were his friends from there that he was speaking with (they all graduated early, except him iirc.) He was active in a recent civil war in the Erebonian Empire, as well in the reclamation of Crossbell- a city that attempted to declare independence from the Empire. In these conflicts, he pilots the Ashen Knight, Valimar- in a setting where mechs are uncommon, but just starting to be mass produced, he's driving a Gundam (a rough analogy, but functional, I think.) spoiler[Rean's a patriot, but one who doesn't like the way his country is going. He disagrees heavily with its leadership, and its more militaristic policies. When he's on the battlefield with Valimar, he's generally aiming to debilitate enemy forces with as few casualties on either side as possible. That humanitarianism is his chain though- his "handlers", like Lechter tend to bait him by mentioning how bad casualties will be if he doesn't get involved, or if he doesn't assist in clearing out a monster. They then use the publicity he generates to drum up positive sentiment from the populace. Rean feels stuck- he's being used for means he doesn't like by people he doesn't especially trust. But he can't really say no without risking a lot of innocents. Not sure how far into Rean's head this will all go, but this is a lot of his current circumstance, unpacked.] Hopefully I didn't give too much away here. Let me know if I should tone down, or answer anything else. |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23854 |
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@ b-dragon: I can only speak for myself, but I don't feel you are giving away too much - even in the part you spoiler tagged. It's certainly helping me as a non-game player to care more about all these characters that are being thrown at me. Some game adaptations do a better job of laying things out for non-gamers... this clearly isn't one of them. I mean, I can follow the thread of the plot basically but it's hard to really care. Oh, Sara, your dad got shot. Welp, I don't know you or your dad as characters so it doesn't really mean much to me, sorry.
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Cam0
 Posts: 4889 |
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Yeah, it's because this is a weird case since it's not actually adapting the games. This is adapting a story that happened between the games. The games kinda give a general outline of what goes down and how it affects Rean, but the games don't get down to the details. I think they tried to make this more accessible to folk who haven't played the games (Lavi and most of the North Ambria folk are all anime original characters for example) but ultimately they could never escape the fact that this whole conflict is merely one part of a much larger story, a story that anime only viewers are completely unfamiliar with. |
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b-dragon
Posts: 468 |
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Good, I'm glad the explanation helps- I wish it wasn't helpful. The narrative should explain these things better. Alas, we live in the world that is, not the world that ought to be.
As Cam0 notes, the "interquel" status is an issue. From the series' announcement I've been confused as to the intended audience, but in truth the bigger issue is that it doesn't serve any audience well. It's frustrating like that. As for Sara, I do expect to explain her at some point- she opens up a few other topics that are perhaps important for the world in general, as well as North Ambria specifically. And she presents a potential counterpoint to Lavi, in terms of decisions to make. Since I expect her to come back though (she was referred to all the way back in the first episode, as well as in the flashback here,) I do want to see what they do with her- I have little faith in the narrative, I'm afraid, but I don't especially wish to preempt it. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23854 |
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Yeah, that's what's been going through my mind as I've read the last few posts... who is this show for? It seems they've taken an approach that isn't designed to appeal to either non-gamers or to people who have played the games. Talk about falling between the bar stools.
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b-dragon
Posts: 468 |
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I don't think that this week's episode was particularly bad, so much as poorly set up and left to flounder. We're now 3/4 of the way through the season and we're still working through the prelude to the titular Northern War in the title. I don't think I'd have quite so strong a distaste if the first few episodes actually did something with the runtime.
The other issue is Lavi, of course. I know I'm supposed to feel tension or something when she's at the podium, but I have so very little attachment to the character. "Stoic" is a fine personality trait, but when I'm supposed to be empathizing with her choices and circumstances, it is actively detrimental. I'm generally not the biggest fan of first person narration, but I think she needs an inner monologue, or something similar if she refuses to emote. Its not so terrible on its own merits though- things actually happen this episode. Plans are made and dashed! A third faction plays its hand! (how did the dog get poisoned? Best not to think on it, I guess.) Lavi has more than one emotion! But its tragically unsupported by the preceding narrative, and it lands poorly for me because of it. There's not much I can think to explain to make things make better sense- most of the setting questions that come up are likely the same ones players still have. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23854 |
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Episode 8
Well, Master Glark got his which is cool because he seemed like quite the douchebag. As b-dragon pointed out, we are two-thirds of the way through the cours and there still ain't no war yet. Presumably, this means the show's makers are hoping for future cours. We'll see, I guess. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23854 |
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Episode 9
Well, that was quite the cliffhanger. And it just goes to prove one of my enduring beliefs; never trust a dude with pink highlights in his blonde hair. Anyway, I'm sure it will take more than this to kill off our tough as nails Lavi, but I do wonder why Talion bladed her. |
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Cam0
Posts: 4889 |
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Episode 10
Jesus effing Christ, give me war already. I WANT WAAAAAR!!!! They got the "defeated hero(ine) rediscovers their resolve" out of the way and Lavi seems ready to face whatever there is to come. But with only 2 episodes left, it feels way too little time cover the whole conflict when they have to tie Lavi and her crew, Rogan, Lavi's commander, Rean and the rest of Erebonia's folk, Sara, the (not to me) mysterious green-haired dude and his companions and probably some other folk I'm forgetting into all of this. Are they planning to do another cour? |
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b-dragon
Posts: 468 |
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I dunno, the green haired dude(?) is still plenty mysterious to me. I guess I have a name and allegiance for the character though- a lot more than anime viewers have.
It's so weird to me that the show doesn't want to get to its titular war. Or that Rean has a fairly bit part, despite his presence (and reasonably well done hinting about something to come,) in the OP. Why burden the show with these expectations if you don't intend to address them? This upcoming war, should we ever get to it, is presented somewhat weirdly for anime viewers. I actually kind of like this- North Ambria's radio and leadership are projecting strength, that with the right strategy they have a chance. Of course they would. Let me be clear though- from everything publicly known about the respective strength of the nations: North Ambria is screwed. The Erebonian Empire is the world military superpower. bleeding edge military tech. Legitimately good generals. Tested troops, and more of them than a country of mercs can hope to deal with. Not currently burning down their own crop fields (so stupid.) Thats not to say Mr. Aurora Phenomenon can't win. But he'd best have one hell of a game plan to do so. |
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Cam0
Posts: 4889 |
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Heh, touche. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23854 |
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Re: Talion - so to "save" her, he shot her? Couldn't he have just shot off around to make the approaching soldiers think he had shot her and let her jump in sewer to float away? Geez with allies like that, who needs enemies? And yeah, never mind Cold Steel, this show is clearly about a Cold War that seems like it's never going to heat up. False advertising!
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b-dragon
Posts: 468 |
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Wow, they really brought in Crossbell and Liberl folks just to confuse new viewers. I'm so very sorry to everyone who's stuck with it thus far. Again, who is this for? I don't think it added anything for preexisting fans. It certainly wouldn't have helped new ones. They tease Sara getting involved...and nothing happens.
Anyway. I do like the more proactive Lavi a bit more. She emotes more as well- long an issue with the character. Still not sure what to make of Evil Talion. Seems kind of abrupt a shift, but we will see. The war started, then stopped. It isn't compelling action, but it makes sense. The Empire is functionally asking "Do you really want to throw down?" and Rogan realizing that, in fact, he really doesn't. He's been Peter Principle'd, a victim of his own success and hubris- he's really not competent or prepared for a leadership role this high up, and hates that he knows it. He staged a mutiny...but the ship is still sinking, and he doesn't know how to fix it. Part of the issue is that the Empire didn't scrimp much on their forces. They sent Aurelia LeGuin, who is, as a cameo pointed out, perhaps the pre-eminent sword master of the Empire. Certainly in contention for it. She's touted as a definite badass and lives up to that hype- both as an individual with a lot of personal combat prowess, and skill in commanding larger scale conflicts. Her epithet- "The Golden Rakshasa"- is not undeserved; the lady lives for conflict and competition, and to prove herself with it. And she's damn good at it. And we end with Rean back in the narrative, seeming to attempt a decapitating strike. Humble or intimidate the leadership, force a ceasefire (that he doesn't know was already called for,) and maybe full scale war won't happen. Or so I surmise. Note that he disabled the archaisms (which really don't threaten his mech,) and accepted a 1v1 duel with a potential figurehead. That reads to me like someone trying to avoid collateral damage. Hopefully the duel will prove interesting. |
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Cam0
Posts: 4889 |
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Wow, a weird episode with lots of random tidbits just thrown in. "Okay, so you remember that silver-haired woman (not the one with the red strand of hair) that has made like a couple of appearances? Well she has mastered both the [school 1] and [school 2] schools of swordsmanship so she's like super powerful and her right-hand man is also known as [title]." - Told by two completely new and irrelevant characters. Amazing, I don't think they could have found a more confusing way to inform the viewer of how powerful Aurelia is. Lets follow that with another "Wait who are these two?" scene just to further confuse the viewer.
Surely, surely there could have been a more economical way to show us how capable Aurelia is. We just saw her march into battle and instead of just showing us how badass she is, you're gonna use the most infodumpy way to tell us what a badass she is. Northern War, WTF? And I'm just getting confused (somewhat minor game spoiler) spoiler[because I'm pretty sure Sara is supposed to be heavily involved in this], but she seems to still be in Erebonia. Is this retconning what the games told us? |
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b-dragon
Posts: 468 |
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@Cam0 I don't think its a retcon spoiler[I think when the archaisms (or Ouroboros,) start acting up en masse and the word gets out, the Bracer Guild officially sends her and Fie in to assist civilian evacuations. As of now, that could still happen.] Of course, that's based on my faulty memory, so we shall see.
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