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in which I try to illustrate my point through crappy youtube screenshots
...made even crappier by rampant spoiler-censoring.
With a few minor editions I could turn this thing into a shipper's manifesto. Why is this an essay. Arguing my case for a rare ship from a game that no one has played.
I've been waiting to write this since I finished the game, haven't I.
Day 21: A pairing you like and no one else understands why?
Or, a pairing that I am intrigued by, and for some completely incomprehensible reason no one else seems to see.
"There's a part of me that'll believe in him no matter what."
Kihara Atsuro and *insert your main character's last name here* Naoya from Devil Survivor. Let's break this down.
Devil Survivor is not about character relationships. What most we get is between some very basic relationship outline (Mari and Kaido) and plot-relevant character backstory (Haru, Aya, Gin). Most of the character relationships that have any real depth have the main character as the other participant, and the characters themselves, while realistic enough, are more like personifications of ideas and ways to behave that exist inside the closed space of Yamanote Line. So Atsuro and Naoya don't have much interactions, but that they do at all speaks for itself.
(This is not to say that the characters don't interact at all, they do. There is some pretty sweet, well-done and enjoyable character interaction between the main trio, Midori and Keisuke, Atsuro and Keisuke, it just is very brief and implicit.)
Naoya is the main character's older brother, and a bastard, pretty much. He doesn't care what people think about him nor about having their approval, not that he goes out of his way to inconvenience them either. He seems like your run-of-the-mill snarky enigmatic bastard (see also: his general appearance), but when his motives and reasons are finally revealed (which is.... in one ending, out of six. Two endings if you can read between the lines, but the other one didn't reveal the most salient reasons for his ~unique and charming~ personality, I don't think) they make a huge amount of sense, and, to me at least, serve as perfect justification for his person.
It's pretty established in his character that he always know what to say. Most of the time he uses his wit to be a dismissive jerk towards people, but it's pretty heavily implied that everything he does and says is calculated, he doesn't do or say things without thinking them through. (Well, expect for in Amane's ending, but that's under very, very special circumstances.) So he's a jerk (you get to call him out on it at one point!), but he's not evil, and he isn't without human feelings.
One person whom it is very easy to read as him having affection for is the main character *insert your name here*. They are family. (Adoptive, actual blood relation is cousins. Naoya was adopted into the main character's family at an early age when he lost his blood parents in an accident.)
Atsuro, a close friend of the main character, is the other character he seems to care for, after a fashion. Naoya and Atsuro got to know each other well before they realized that they were connected through the main character: Naoya is a programming genius, Atsuro his (somewhat self-proclaimed) star pupil, they met each other through programming forums on the net.
It's kind of rare for Naoya to have a high opinion on anyone, but he seems satisfied with Atsuro's progress throughout the game (Atsuro tends to be the one who makes the big realizations about the plot). Besides, he isn't as much of an asshole towards him as he is towards every other character in the game, which in Naoya's case might not be so insignificant.
(The most backhanded consolation ever. ...Naoya does have more than just that one expression in the game btw.)
(Looking for screencaps I also noticed that he even attempts to justify his actions to Atsuro somewhat, something he certainly doesn't do with other characters, but I'm only looking at one scene right now and it might not hold true for the rest of the game. Still, tossing it here.)
Moving on to Atsuro!
Atsuro is one of the main character's best friends, and a computer nerd through and through. Both of his parents work overseas, so in his loneliness he turned to the internet for friends. He's all about uncovering the truth and making inventions and solutions that work in the longer term. Notably he's the only person in the whole game who never really loses sight of right and wrong. He isn't the party's justice freak, but he does tend to call people out on shitty behaviour.
Atsuro is the type of person that thrives under compliments (he does bounce back pretty fast even when he's insulted, but he takes it to heart. He's pretty sensitive). He doesn't seek praise, exactly, but he really does shine whenever he feels that he's made a good decision, if he's just solved some important puzzle, if his skills are appreciated. More specifically he really, really likes it if he's complimented in a way that makes it seem he's worthy of Naoya ("you are Naoya's pupil, after all").
Naoya is his idol.
More than that, he speaks of Naoya on a personal level: he speculates about Naoya and his motives (notably always coming to the conclusion that Naoya must have some good reason for all the shifty things he does, when all the others are increasingly doubtful), he answers to questions about Naoya with warm fondness. Whereas other characters (including the main character, depending on the player's choices) tend to blame Naoya for the all they have been through (and perhaps not without reason), Atsuro likes to think that Naoya has some great reasons that will make sense in the end. When he does disagree at the end (well, depending on the ending), he doesn't start shouting bloody justice at him but instead argues politely and tries to keep Naoya from losing face.
(At the beginning of the game he's totally bummed that Yuzu and the main character went to see Naoya without him. Dude, Naoya in live! And you would leave me out! Granted, it was because he would have had answers for how to open the COMPs, but still.)
So, by the end of the game the existence of reality as we know it lies on the main characters' shoulders - standard RPG fare. Atsuro is scared for himself, because by that point he knows what might happen and exactly how much can go wrong if they don't do just the right thing, but what he's really really scared for is the fate of the world. He cares about people, and he feels that he personally cannot let everyone down. And in his ending, a huge part of saving the world rests on him.
Yeah, he's a nervous wreck, and it's starting to show.
Then this scene happens.
("Kenji" is what this person named their main character. Yes, the name "Yoohoo" is provided by the GAME ITSELF.)
That's Naoya the unfeeling asshole, who never spares a compliment if he can help it.
That's Atsuro, who is a worrywart, who has been really down the whole game, even if he tended to hide it, and whose insecurities were, just a second ago, collapsing on his head.
...it's pretty incredible. For the rest of the game Atsuro is on a high that doesn't end even when Naoya returns to talking down to him. (Well, the situation where he does it show that he trusts Atsuro.) When you talk to Atsuro on the map after this scene, he pretty much goes "ME AND NAOYA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS JOINT DOWN TOGETHER AWWWWW YEAH" and, okay, that's a bit paraphrased, but my point stands. (I personally refer to this ending as "Atsuro's wet dream come true".)
So yeah. I didn't come out of the game shipping them, exactly, but I did see it very clearly, and was perhaps interested in seeing other people's opinions.
---yet there was no fanfic, no doujinshi, no discussion, nothing. The only piece of fanart I have I had to draw myself, so I'm left wondering if I hallucinated the whole thing.
?????
DAY 21: Favorite couple?
Sydney Losstarot and John Hardin from Vagrant Story. People who can't see non-textual m/m see it. For good fanworks, see this extremely spoilery novel-length fanfic and this extremely spoilery piece of fanart. For emotional reasons behind shipping, see Vagrant Story for PlayStation 1.
(MegaTen: Oh, is it time to use this?
(Katsuya: excellent tier, Maki: no idea, haven't played Persona 1.)
BUT THE REAL ANSWER-- actually, this answer is even worse.
The main character/the mysterious unnamed gigolo from Devil Survivor. For several spoilery reasons, but mostly for the following conversation.
Gigolo: Oh my, we meet again. I'm glad to see that you made it out alive. Well done! But, you know... Everyone's going to die tomorrow. That's a sad thing.
Protagonist:
-It's not over yet.
->Oh my, you're right.
Gigolo: Oh my, are you mocking me? You're not all that, you know.
ME: IS THIS FLIRTING)
( Questions )
With a few minor editions I could turn this thing into a shipper's manifesto. Why is this an essay. Arguing my case for a rare ship from a game that no one has played.
I've been waiting to write this since I finished the game, haven't I.
Day 21: A pairing you like and no one else understands why?
Or, a pairing that I am intrigued by, and for some completely incomprehensible reason no one else seems to see.
"There's a part of me that'll believe in him no matter what."
Kihara Atsuro and *insert your main character's last name here* Naoya from Devil Survivor. Let's break this down.
Devil Survivor is not about character relationships. What most we get is between some very basic relationship outline (Mari and Kaido) and plot-relevant character backstory (Haru, Aya, Gin). Most of the character relationships that have any real depth have the main character as the other participant, and the characters themselves, while realistic enough, are more like personifications of ideas and ways to behave that exist inside the closed space of Yamanote Line. So Atsuro and Naoya don't have much interactions, but that they do at all speaks for itself.
(This is not to say that the characters don't interact at all, they do. There is some pretty sweet, well-done and enjoyable character interaction between the main trio, Midori and Keisuke, Atsuro and Keisuke, it just is very brief and implicit.)
Naoya is the main character's older brother, and a bastard, pretty much. He doesn't care what people think about him nor about having their approval, not that he goes out of his way to inconvenience them either. He seems like your run-of-the-mill snarky enigmatic bastard (see also: his general appearance), but when his motives and reasons are finally revealed (which is.... in one ending, out of six. Two endings if you can read between the lines, but the other one didn't reveal the most salient reasons for his ~unique and charming~ personality, I don't think) they make a huge amount of sense, and, to me at least, serve as perfect justification for his person.
It's pretty established in his character that he always know what to say. Most of the time he uses his wit to be a dismissive jerk towards people, but it's pretty heavily implied that everything he does and says is calculated, he doesn't do or say things without thinking them through. (Well, expect for in Amane's ending, but that's under very, very special circumstances.) So he's a jerk (you get to call him out on it at one point!), but he's not evil, and he isn't without human feelings.
One person whom it is very easy to read as him having affection for is the main character *insert your name here*. They are family. (Adoptive, actual blood relation is cousins. Naoya was adopted into the main character's family at an early age when he lost his blood parents in an accident.)
Atsuro, a close friend of the main character, is the other character he seems to care for, after a fashion. Naoya and Atsuro got to know each other well before they realized that they were connected through the main character: Naoya is a programming genius, Atsuro his (somewhat self-proclaimed) star pupil, they met each other through programming forums on the net.
It's kind of rare for Naoya to have a high opinion on anyone, but he seems satisfied with Atsuro's progress throughout the game (Atsuro tends to be the one who makes the big realizations about the plot). Besides, he isn't as much of an asshole towards him as he is towards every other character in the game, which in Naoya's case might not be so insignificant.
(The most backhanded consolation ever. ...Naoya does have more than just that one expression in the game btw.)
(Looking for screencaps I also noticed that he even attempts to justify his actions to Atsuro somewhat, something he certainly doesn't do with other characters, but I'm only looking at one scene right now and it might not hold true for the rest of the game. Still, tossing it here.)
Moving on to Atsuro!
Atsuro is one of the main character's best friends, and a computer nerd through and through. Both of his parents work overseas, so in his loneliness he turned to the internet for friends. He's all about uncovering the truth and making inventions and solutions that work in the longer term. Notably he's the only person in the whole game who never really loses sight of right and wrong. He isn't the party's justice freak, but he does tend to call people out on shitty behaviour.
Atsuro is the type of person that thrives under compliments (he does bounce back pretty fast even when he's insulted, but he takes it to heart. He's pretty sensitive). He doesn't seek praise, exactly, but he really does shine whenever he feels that he's made a good decision, if he's just solved some important puzzle, if his skills are appreciated. More specifically he really, really likes it if he's complimented in a way that makes it seem he's worthy of Naoya ("you are Naoya's pupil, after all").
Naoya is his idol.
More than that, he speaks of Naoya on a personal level: he speculates about Naoya and his motives (notably always coming to the conclusion that Naoya must have some good reason for all the shifty things he does, when all the others are increasingly doubtful), he answers to questions about Naoya with warm fondness. Whereas other characters (including the main character, depending on the player's choices) tend to blame Naoya for the all they have been through (and perhaps not without reason), Atsuro likes to think that Naoya has some great reasons that will make sense in the end. When he does disagree at the end (well, depending on the ending), he doesn't start shouting bloody justice at him but instead argues politely and tries to keep Naoya from losing face.
(At the beginning of the game he's totally bummed that Yuzu and the main character went to see Naoya without him. Dude, Naoya in live! And you would leave me out! Granted, it was because he would have had answers for how to open the COMPs, but still.)
So, by the end of the game the existence of reality as we know it lies on the main characters' shoulders - standard RPG fare. Atsuro is scared for himself, because by that point he knows what might happen and exactly how much can go wrong if they don't do just the right thing, but what he's really really scared for is the fate of the world. He cares about people, and he feels that he personally cannot let everyone down. And in his ending, a huge part of saving the world rests on him.
Yeah, he's a nervous wreck, and it's starting to show.
Then this scene happens.
("Kenji" is what this person named their main character. Yes, the name "Yoohoo" is provided by the GAME ITSELF.)
That's Naoya the unfeeling asshole, who never spares a compliment if he can help it.
That's Atsuro, who is a worrywart, who has been really down the whole game, even if he tended to hide it, and whose insecurities were, just a second ago, collapsing on his head.
...it's pretty incredible. For the rest of the game Atsuro is on a high that doesn't end even when Naoya returns to talking down to him. (Well, the situation where he does it show that he trusts Atsuro.) When you talk to Atsuro on the map after this scene, he pretty much goes "ME AND NAOYA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS JOINT DOWN TOGETHER AWWWWW YEAH" and, okay, that's a bit paraphrased, but my point stands. (I personally refer to this ending as "Atsuro's wet dream come true".)
So yeah. I didn't come out of the game shipping them, exactly, but I did see it very clearly, and was perhaps interested in seeing other people's opinions.
---yet there was no fanfic, no doujinshi, no discussion, nothing. The only piece of fanart I have I had to draw myself, so I'm left wondering if I hallucinated the whole thing.
?????
DAY 21: Favorite couple?
Sydney Losstarot and John Hardin from Vagrant Story. People who can't see non-textual m/m see it. For good fanworks, see this extremely spoilery novel-length fanfic and this extremely spoilery piece of fanart. For emotional reasons behind shipping, see Vagrant Story for PlayStation 1.
(MegaTen: Oh, is it time to use this?
(Katsuya: excellent tier, Maki: no idea, haven't played Persona 1.)
BUT THE REAL ANSWER-- actually, this answer is even worse.
The main character/the mysterious unnamed gigolo from Devil Survivor. For several spoilery reasons, but mostly for the following conversation.
Gigolo: Oh my, we meet again. I'm glad to see that you made it out alive. Well done! But, you know... Everyone's going to die tomorrow. That's a sad thing.
Protagonist:
-
->Oh my, you're right.
Gigolo: Oh my, are you mocking me? You're not all that, you know.
ME: IS THIS FLIRTING)
( Questions )