Clearly, I'm a henjin. While not on the 2B backside incident level, I'm still a henjin. While I've wanted to do another FF14 post involving the likes of Vauthry, Emet Selch, and Elidibus, I decided to put my plan on the back burner. This is where the henjin part comes in:
I'm not a fan of local shows, but I did know at least a thing or two about this year's Star Awards. During this year's Easter, I was weirdly inspired by Carrie "not Stephen King's muse" Wong. Not her dress but her speech. I'm 100% convinced Miss Wong knows nothing about FF14, let alone Shadowbringers. But having completed the YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse alliance raids and The Sorrow of Werlyt storyline, the part on regret and self-hate triggered a desire to write this post.
Before I begin, allow me to point out the obvious. YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse was a crossover storyline done by Yoko "he's another kind of Ultraman" Taro. This guy is a sadist. Let me tell you why: If you want to reach the good ending of NieR: Automata, you must torture yourself by getting Ending A to Ending D. Anything done by Ultraman Taro is bound to be terribly dark. I can only give Miss Wong (not that she'd notice anyway) this advice: Do NOT touch anything created by Ultraman Taro. Drakengard will scar you and NieR will traumatise you.
YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse-Could it be better?
I wouldn't be surprised if this has always been the number one question FF14 fans ask themselves. There's clearly a special relationship between Ultraman Taro and Square Enix. This extended to FF14 since the NieR crossover is now a permanent fixture. Whether you want to torture yourself by learning the mechanics of the YoRHa alliance raids is optional, in case you're wondering. Personally, playing this game on PC actually gave me a massive handicap. I've seen gameplay videos on YouTube. Playing the game on PS4/5 would give the gamer a tactical advantage via a higher camera zoom. Playing FF14 on PC means I benefit from faster execution, but that's all. That's actually worth nothing unless I know and memorise the mechanics. In terms of learning, playing on a console has a clear advantage. As a result, my focus has to cover both my group mates' positioning and the mechanics. Playing Tower at Paradigm's Breach for the first time was particularly draining. I had to overload my brain at certain moments to the point where it just blanked out. As a result, I could only follow my alliance's movements while functioning at 30% efficiency during those times. I really have to respect the Japanese players. Every one of them knew what had to be done. And they did so flawlessly. This is not to say that Japanese people are more intelligent than the rest of the world. Instead, it's the product of a pro-collective society compared to the pro-individual values in the West. Oh, and one more thing: Do NOT play this raid if you have epilepsy or any similar condition.
On the storyline, I'm now on my way to finishing it. It will take a few more weeks due to the weeklies needed. The good thing about reading up on other people's constructive criticism is that it gives me a better understanding of what I'm dealing with. The internet is full of bashing and self-righteous intellectuals, so it's down to knowing where to look. The difference between a fan and a stan lies in objectivity. A true fan is capable of being objective. Stans are not. Fans care about the series, but stans only care about worshipping the series. It's like getting a girlfriend or boyfriend. You'd want someone who cares, not the overly-attached girlfriend meme.
The YoRHa alliance raid storyline does offer a plot involving significant stakes. This isn't a case of Russia invading Ukraine but rather an otherwordly force out to destroy the First. Sadly, however, there were notable plotholes unaccounted for. There are two ways to explain this:
1. The developers were rushing the job so badly that it ended up worse than Lyse's character development in Stormblood.
2. This might be Ultraman Taro planning the next NieR game. Knowing how much of a henjin he is, it could be tomorrow or 35 years later.
Before I continue, please be warned: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO START THE STORYLINE OR FINISH IT.
There are actually two prominent plotholes left unresolved. The first is the role of the Seed of Resurrection/Destruction, otherwise known as a Bone Casket. While also a plot device in the first Drakengard game, its role in Ending E resulted in the cold hard truth: Death to Mankind. When you think about it, this actually made YoRHa's lie of "Glory to Mankind" a twisted joke. In fact, the storyline of NieR: Replicant/Gestalt was about humanity's chances of revival instead of whether it's still around.
In the YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse storyline, however, the Bone Casket doubled up as a gateway between different worlds. It's weird because that's not what we saw in Drakengard's Ending E. Due to the revelation happening during the Tower at Paradigm's Breach raid, there's little to no time to explain what was happening with that giant white ball. We only knew that the worlds of FF14 and NieR were implied to be part of a massive universe. Then we come to the second plothole.
Anogg, what can I say about her apart from the fact that the real deal was already dead? Like the Bone Casket responsible for her existence, she's a total enigma. Before 2P's revealed betrayal, there was a moment of disturbing glee from her. But after the events in the Puppets' Bunker, she returned as someone sincerely wishing to help. How are we going to make sense of two contradicting details? This reminds me of a scene in Stormblood where Yotsuyu taunted Gosetesu during his imprisonment at Isari by stating his guilt in killing his fellow Domans. Gosetsu admitted to it. So how should we view this first moment of storytelling paradox? This was likely Yotsuyu using figures of speech to guilt-trip Gosetsu because he had a hand in the failed Doman rebellion (i.e. he fought against the Garleans instead of for them). As a result, many Domans died. The word traitor was just that: A figure of speech.
In Anogg's case, there's no figure of speech. A contradictory display is a contradictory display. But what if there was a conflict between two personalities? Remember that this wasn't the real Anogg. She's merely a product of a plot device responsible for monsters and monstrosities. However, the Anogg clone likely inherited the memories of the real one. If so, then a conflict between two personalities would be possible. More than that, however, this would be what one would call the duality of good and evil. There's an excellent reason behind my ability to make fun of myself by calling myself an incel. When I saw the likes of Elliot Rodger, I was reminded of what I could have been. But yet, his path was never to be mine.
For Anogg, was it likely the good that was the original's memories triumphed over the evil from the Seed of Destruction? If so, then when was the tipping point? The only conjecture I can come up with is the aftermath of Komra's destruction, where her overbearing sense of guilt fueled what was good to overcome what was evil. At the risk of sounding like a logical jerk, Anogg did play a crucial part in 2P's act of mass destruction. However, it was also clear that 2P was manipulating the chess pieces leaving others none the wiser. Why did Anogg feel guilty? Because she cared. Why did she care? Because the deceased Anogg's memories were the foundation of the current Anogg's life. Guilt is not a bad thing per se. It allows the sinner to be humane and proves beyond a doubt that we care for what is right and those around us. In fact, the absence of guilt caused atrocities like the Holocaust and Pol Pot's killing fields.
This comes to the question of whether the second Anogg could be seen as the real one. I believe the answer is yes. Her birth might be artificial, but there's nothing fake about the life she had and the identity she carried. It's like being an adopted child where your adoptive mother named you after an unborn life lost to miscarriage. Would this make your identity fake? If I were to realise that's how I ended up in my current family, my answer would be a resounding no.
A/N: No, I do not know Carrie Wong and Yoko Taro. The only reason I name-dropped them is that I'm a certified henjin. That's all to it.
