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moogle_workshop2011-07-08 02:36 am
virago-queen.livejournal.com) wrote in moogle_workshop2011-07-08 02:36 am
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June contest entries de-anon!
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virago_queen
Class: Black Mage
# of icons: 4
Bitter, Salty, Spicy, Sweet
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Title: Yuna Protagonist Essay
Summary: Argument for why Yuna is the main character of X
Characters/Pairings: Yuna!
Word count: 500ish
Rating/warnings: Heavy spoilers for X~
“This is my story.”
Tidus tells us this countless times throughout FFX, but is it really? He is commonly viewed as the game's protagonist, but according to the definition of protagonist – the character around whom the events of a narrative revolve – he isn't. Tidus is the focal character, the one telling FFX's story, and it is Yuna who is the true protagonist.
The entire plot of FFX concentrates on Yuna's pilgrimage, on her journey to save Spira from destruction. The only moments in which it is Tidus's story are the very beginning, from Zanarkand to Besaid, and the ending scene. Throughout the bulk of the game, he is a passenger, an observer, going along with Yuna as she travels the world. He has relatively few motivations of his own for accompanying Yuna, aside from a vague hope that he can get home if he sees Sin again, and later his feelings for her. In truth, Tidus plays a secondary, love interest-like role in the storyline – Yuna is the one with the drive, the purpose, and the means to carry it to fruition.
Tidus's role in Yuna's story is a large one – as her love interest, he is in many ways more important than her other guardians. But he is similar to them in that, although he has his storylines on the side, everything always comes back to Yuna's quest. Tidus's attempts to get home and conflicts with his father are similar to Auron's desire to put an end to Jecht's suffering, or Lulu and Wakka dealing with Chappu's death in that they serve to enrich the story that is being told. They are important. But the plot of FFX would still exist if they were not there. Not so with Yuna.
So why is Yuna overlooked when people discuss the protagonist of FFX? A large part is due to the fact that Tidus is the narrator, the character that the story is focalized through – usually that type of character is the protagonist, so people just assume that Tidus is, as well. He is also the character that we are most encouraged to relate to, since he is the one telling the story. Another point in his favor is that FFX ends with him – we do not continue on with Yuna's tale after he is gone. But since the main plotline has also come to an end mere moments before, this can be largely negated.
Another factor that plays a huge part is Yuna herself. Sweet, demure, and softspoken, Yuna is everything that a classical Japanese lady is supposed to be – and not what a western audience would consider a hero-figure. Since her personality is more along the lines of Rosa and Garnet, the primary love interests of their games, Yuna gets shoved into that role, as well. Her unrelenting will and great stubbornness often gets overlooked, just as much as the fact that she is the driving force in the plot. More conventional heroes like Tidus and Auron steal the spotlight, and make it easy to forget that this is Yuna's pilgrimage, Yuna's mission, Yuna's life at stake – Yuna's story.
virago_queenClass: Black Mage
# of icons: 4
Bitter, Salty, Spicy, Sweet
| | | Title: Yuna Protagonist Essay
Summary: Argument for why Yuna is the main character of X
Characters/Pairings: Yuna!
Word count: 500ish
Rating/warnings: Heavy spoilers for X~
“This is my story.”
Tidus tells us this countless times throughout FFX, but is it really? He is commonly viewed as the game's protagonist, but according to the definition of protagonist – the character around whom the events of a narrative revolve – he isn't. Tidus is the focal character, the one telling FFX's story, and it is Yuna who is the true protagonist.
The entire plot of FFX concentrates on Yuna's pilgrimage, on her journey to save Spira from destruction. The only moments in which it is Tidus's story are the very beginning, from Zanarkand to Besaid, and the ending scene. Throughout the bulk of the game, he is a passenger, an observer, going along with Yuna as she travels the world. He has relatively few motivations of his own for accompanying Yuna, aside from a vague hope that he can get home if he sees Sin again, and later his feelings for her. In truth, Tidus plays a secondary, love interest-like role in the storyline – Yuna is the one with the drive, the purpose, and the means to carry it to fruition.
Tidus's role in Yuna's story is a large one – as her love interest, he is in many ways more important than her other guardians. But he is similar to them in that, although he has his storylines on the side, everything always comes back to Yuna's quest. Tidus's attempts to get home and conflicts with his father are similar to Auron's desire to put an end to Jecht's suffering, or Lulu and Wakka dealing with Chappu's death in that they serve to enrich the story that is being told. They are important. But the plot of FFX would still exist if they were not there. Not so with Yuna.
So why is Yuna overlooked when people discuss the protagonist of FFX? A large part is due to the fact that Tidus is the narrator, the character that the story is focalized through – usually that type of character is the protagonist, so people just assume that Tidus is, as well. He is also the character that we are most encouraged to relate to, since he is the one telling the story. Another point in his favor is that FFX ends with him – we do not continue on with Yuna's tale after he is gone. But since the main plotline has also come to an end mere moments before, this can be largely negated.
Another factor that plays a huge part is Yuna herself. Sweet, demure, and softspoken, Yuna is everything that a classical Japanese lady is supposed to be – and not what a western audience would consider a hero-figure. Since her personality is more along the lines of Rosa and Garnet, the primary love interests of their games, Yuna gets shoved into that role, as well. Her unrelenting will and great stubbornness often gets overlooked, just as much as the fact that she is the driving force in the plot. More conventional heroes like Tidus and Auron steal the spotlight, and make it easy to forget that this is Yuna's pilgrimage, Yuna's mission, Yuna's life at stake – Yuna's story.
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