I have to say 'hrm' because I'm not quite sure what else to say. I've been sitting here for a surprising amount of time, trying to make my thoughts make sense.
I really like when Rinoa's sorceress attachment comes up and I really enjoyed what you did between mixing her letter and her flashback. Rinoa's relationship with her father was always under-explained in FF8 and so I was really glad to see you pick that up (in a more mature way than the daddy-didn't-love-me gut reaction that seems to lurk in all fandoms).
But I think I know what bothers me in this chapter (or maybe 'bothers me' is too strong a word). It's a tiny bit symptomatic of the whole story. It's all incredibly one-sided. I realize that the point of this is Rin trying to find her subjectivity but it just seems... one-sided. I'd love to know what Squall says to these letters. Since you never pull him into any of this, he seems very cold.
Granted, I never play in this fandom but Squall always struck me as a boy who doesn't say a lot but who could surprise you with the depth of his feeling. I don't get a lot of that from this story. I don't feel like there's a lot of trust between them - like somehow they're together for... the sake of being together? It just makes Squall feel very cold and distant. I would love to see him have just ... some kind of sign of support for Rinoa. Some little sign of - I understand that you need to figure this out; I have faith in you and I'll always be with you.
Remember the smile he gave her at the end of the game? That's what's missing in this story. She brought him back and he...
Well, he loves her. And he's her Knight. That sort of thing, I feel, must run very deep. To see them so seperate ... it all just seems a little bit lonely and cold.
I wonder if the difference is that instead of Rinoa being on her own she feels distinctly alone. And that I don't think is right because Squall would go through Hell and high water to keep her from feeling that way. (Of course, you might argue that that's exactly why Rinoa had to leave; to fight her own battles). My point is more that he'd at least show some sign of support. If I were Squall, receiving letters like the one Rinoa sends would ... well, upset me. Worry me. I'd say something.
Half the point of FF8 was that these orphans and pseudo-orphans had to learn that they weren't alone. It feels like a reversion, like Rinoa's taken a step back. I appreciate that she is a bit of an outsider (not a SeeD) but ... I just keep on asking myself what Squall would do. And something doesn't feel right in the construction of this.
You've set yourself a tricky task, in a way; a story about a woman who's in a relationship trying to find herself. I know it's not the norm but I sometimes have sympathy for the husbands in these. If the love is still there ...
It reminds me of that Vin.Tifa I wrote where Vincent ended up leaving her for that exact reason. I feel like there must be a true depth of feeling between Squall and Rinoa ... but I don't feel it in this story.
But perhaps we just have different points of vue about his character. I don't play in the FF8 fandom so it might be a bit hard for me to judge. But I did play FF8 and it leaves me feeling like something is lacking in this story.
(I hope my little review didn't come off too harsh. You know I love you, Cendri. It's probably been nibbling at me for a while.)
no subject
I have to say 'hrm' because I'm not quite sure what else to say. I've been sitting here for a surprising amount of time, trying to make my thoughts make sense.
I really like when Rinoa's sorceress attachment comes up and I really enjoyed what you did between mixing her letter and her flashback. Rinoa's relationship with her father was always under-explained in FF8 and so I was really glad to see you pick that up (in a more mature way than the daddy-didn't-love-me gut reaction that seems to lurk in all fandoms).
But I think I know what bothers me in this chapter (or maybe 'bothers me' is too strong a word). It's a tiny bit symptomatic of the whole story. It's all incredibly one-sided. I realize that the point of this is Rin trying to find her subjectivity but it just seems... one-sided. I'd love to know what Squall says to these letters. Since you never pull him into any of this, he seems very cold.
Granted, I never play in this fandom but Squall always struck me as a boy who doesn't say a lot but who could surprise you with the depth of his feeling. I don't get a lot of that from this story. I don't feel like there's a lot of trust between them - like somehow they're together for... the sake of being together? It just makes Squall feel very cold and distant. I would love to see him have just ... some kind of sign of support for Rinoa. Some little sign of - I understand that you need to figure this out; I have faith in you and I'll always be with you.
Remember the smile he gave her at the end of the game? That's what's missing in this story. She brought him back and he...
Well, he loves her. And he's her Knight. That sort of thing, I feel, must run very deep. To see them so seperate ... it all just seems a little bit lonely and cold.
I wonder if the difference is that instead of Rinoa being on her own she feels distinctly alone. And that I don't think is right because Squall would go through Hell and high water to keep her from feeling that way. (Of course, you might argue that that's exactly why Rinoa had to leave; to fight her own battles). My point is more that he'd at least show some sign of support. If I were Squall, receiving letters like the one Rinoa sends would ... well, upset me. Worry me. I'd say something.
Half the point of FF8 was that these orphans and pseudo-orphans had to learn that they weren't alone. It feels like a reversion, like Rinoa's taken a step back. I appreciate that she is a bit of an outsider (not a SeeD) but ... I just keep on asking myself what Squall would do. And something doesn't feel right in the construction of this.
You've set yourself a tricky task, in a way; a story about a woman who's in a relationship trying to find herself. I know it's not the norm but I sometimes have sympathy for the husbands in these. If the love is still there ...
It reminds me of that Vin.Tifa I wrote where Vincent ended up leaving her for that exact reason. I feel like there must be a true depth of feeling between Squall and Rinoa ... but I don't feel it in this story.
But perhaps we just have different points of vue about his character. I don't play in the FF8 fandom so it might be a bit hard for me to judge. But I did play FF8 and it leaves me feeling like something is lacking in this story.
(I hope my little review didn't come off too harsh. You know I love you, Cendri. It's probably been nibbling at me for a while.)
-T. pirate