The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: Difference between revisions
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''Legend of Heroes VI'', often called ''Sora no Kiseki'' or ''Trails in the Sky'', is a [[JRPG]] released by [[Nihon Falcom]] in the mid-2000s, first on the PC and then on the PSP. It is an entry into Falcom's line of "traditional" turn-based story-heavy JRPGs (as opposed to the action RPGs of the ''[[ |
''Legend of Heroes VI'', often called ''Sora no Kiseki'' or ''Trails in the Sky'', is a [[JRPG]] released by [[Nihon Falcom]] in the mid-2000s, first on the PC and then on the PSP. It is an entry into Falcom's line of "traditional" turn-based story-heavy JRPGs (as opposed to the action RPGs of the ''[[Ys]]'' series), and it is without question the single most successful game-cum-franchise Falcom has released since the original ''Ys'' duology, despite taking so long to leave Japan. |
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The story details the adventures of Estelle Bright and her adopted brother, Joshua. They set out to be a pair of "Bracers", wandering adventurer-types who do good around the kingdom of Liberl, much like Estelle's father Cassius was in his prime. Soon after their adventure begins, however, they begin to get pulled into a series of events that could change the face of Liberl, not to mention answer certain questions about Joshua's past... even if they are answers Joshua might not want to hear. |
The story details the adventures of Estelle Bright and her adopted brother, Joshua. They set out to be a pair of "Bracers", wandering adventurer-types who do good around the kingdom of Liberl, much like Estelle's father Cassius was in his prime. Soon after their adventure begins, however, they begin to get pulled into a series of events that could change the face of Liberl, not to mention answer certain questions about Joshua's past... even if they are answers Joshua might not want to hear. |
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The game is, in a word, gigantic. It was so large, in fact, that Falcom couldn't practically release it as one game; "Sora no Kiseki FC" (short for "First Chapter") was released in mid-2004, with the Second Chapter following nearly ''two years'' later (it was so large as to require two UMDs when released on the PSP in 2007). This, naturally, led to [[One Game for |
The game is, in a word, gigantic. It was so large, in fact, that Falcom couldn't practically release it as one game; "Sora no Kiseki FC" (short for "First Chapter") was released in mid-2004, with the Second Chapter following nearly ''two years'' later (it was so large as to require two UMDs when released on the PSP in 2007). This, naturally, led to [[One Game for the Price of Two|some complaining]] during SC's development, which was generally silenced when SC was released to nigh-rabid reviews. A year afterward, "Sora no Kiseki The Third" was released; it ended up being a bit of a [[Mission Pack Sequel]] (since the main plot of the game wraps up nicely in SC), but it still develops a few of the other party members and deals with some of the dangling side-plot hooks nicely, and so is generally respected. The series was so popular as to inspire an [[Intercontinuity Crossover]] fighting game with ''Ys'', in the style of ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom]]''. |
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A side effect of the game's bifurcated nature is that this is one of the few JRPGs in which choice ''matters''. While the choices are (generally) not quite as sweeping as those in, say, ''[[Mass Effect]]'', since you can carry save files forward between chapters, choices you make in one chapter can affect quests and dialogue in a following chapter and affect how quickly you rise through the ranks of the Bracers Guild. The games are also a bit more open-ended than most JRPGs, with ''lots'' of Bracer sidequests available alongside the main storyline (and, in fact, neglecting these can leave you a bit weak for the showdowns which await you at the end of the second chapter). |
A side effect of the game's bifurcated nature is that this is one of the few JRPGs in which choice ''matters''. While the choices are (generally) not quite as sweeping as those in, say, ''[[Mass Effect]]'', since you can carry save files forward between chapters, choices you make in one chapter can affect quests and dialogue in a following chapter and affect how quickly you rise through the ranks of the Bracers Guild. The games are also a bit more open-ended than most JRPGs, with ''lots'' of Bracer sidequests available alongside the main storyline (and, in fact, neglecting these can leave you a bit weak for the showdowns which await you at the end of the second chapter). |
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Each of the three chapters technically tells their own story, although the second chapter follows ''directly'' on from the first chapter (as in, it literally starts on the day after the end of the first) and if you dive right into SC you are likely to end up a bit lost and confused. There are sixteen playable characters over the course of all three games, plus dozens of other secondary characters. |
Each of the three chapters technically tells their own story, although the second chapter follows ''directly'' on from the first chapter (as in, it literally starts on the day after the end of the first) and if you dive right into SC you are likely to end up a bit lost and confused. There are sixteen playable characters over the course of all three games, plus dozens of other secondary characters. |
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Just like the case of Falcom's other great RPG series ''[[ |
Just like the case of Falcom's other great RPG series ''[[Ys]]'', the games have suffered greatly from [[No Export for You]], which is the primary reason why the series is massively popular in Japan, right up there with the [[Tales (series)]] and ''[[Shin Megami Tensei]]'' (having sold [http://www.siliconera.com/2011/02/09/falcoms-trails-in-the-sky-series-soars-past-one-million-units-sold/ over a million copies between the three chapters of the game], [[Zero no Kiseki|two proper sequels]] released in 2010 and 2011, both of which also sold like bonkers, [http://www.siliconera.com/2010/11/20/sora-no-kiseki-anime-maybe-coming-in-2011/ an anime adaptation] which came out in late 2011 and with [http://www.falcom.com/info/eventroom/kiseki_festa/kiseki_festa.html fan events still being held] six years after FC's release), but practically unheard of outside of it. |
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Do note, this page has a ''lot'' of marked spoilers; this is because talking about most of the tropes related to the game requires talking about the revelations the game makes later in its narrative (particularly in the second chapter, which America sadly won't see until at least 2012), and some of these are [[Wham! Episode|legitimately amazing]] and shouldn't be casually ruined. '''Highlight spoilers at your own risk''', and beware of spoilers on other sites, to boot. |
Do note, this page has a ''lot'' of marked spoilers; this is because talking about most of the tropes related to the game requires talking about the revelations the game makes later in its narrative (particularly in the second chapter, which America sadly won't see until at least 2012), and some of these are [[Wham! Episode|legitimately amazing]] and shouldn't be casually ruined. '''Highlight spoilers at your own risk''', and beware of spoilers on other sites, to boot. |
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Last but not least, the soundtrack for the series is ''awesome'', especially once you get into Second Chapter and The Third. [[Crowning Music/Ys|Falcom's JDK Band]] pretty much hit it out of the park again, and some of the songs included with the game have been hailed as among the best game themes ever, through ''vote'', on places like 2channel. |
Last but not least, the soundtrack for the series is ''awesome'', especially once you get into Second Chapter and The Third. [[Crowning Music/Ys|Falcom's JDK Band]] pretty much hit it out of the park again, and some of the songs included with the game have been hailed as among the best game themes ever, through ''vote'', on places like 2channel. |
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The first chapter was localized and released in March 2011 for the [[PSP]] courtesy of [[XSEED Games]] (who worked on [[Nihon Falcom]]'s [[ |
The first chapter was localized and released in March 2011 for the [[PSP]] courtesy of [[XSEED Games]] (who worked on [[Nihon Falcom]]'s [[Ys]] series previously). Due to the ''huge'' script, expect large gaps between games, but hey, [[Sublime Rhyme|Slow Export For You]] is better than [[No Export for You]].<ref>Quoth XSEED localizer and resident Falcom fanboy Tom "Wyrdwad" Lipschultz on the [[Game FAQs]] board for the first game: "SC will definitely *not* be released this year [2011]. That's not even physically possible, given the amount of text it has and the amount of manpower and money WE have. (:"</ref> |
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The aforementioned sequel is ''[[Zero no Kiseki]]'', which follows a new set of protagonists a few years after the events of ''Trails''. ''That'' title was followed up by ''Ao no Kiseki'', which continues the ''Zero'' story in the same way ''Trails SC'' continued the ''Trails FC'' story. |
The aforementioned sequel is ''[[Zero no Kiseki]]'', which follows a new set of protagonists a few years after the events of ''Trails''. ''That'' title was followed up by ''Ao no Kiseki'', which continues the ''Zero'' story in the same way ''Trails SC'' continued the ''Trails FC'' story. |
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* [[All Powerful Bystander]]: Cassius Bright, he's the strongest Bracer in Liberl, an ex-[[Master Swordsman]], a resident [[Mary Tzu]], he managed to {{spoiler|[[Curb Stomp Battle|Curb Stomp]] the final boss of FC}}, the earth trembles when he spins his rod, second strongest character in the trilogy after Loewe according to [[Word of God|the author]], in fact he's so broken the [[Big Bad]]'s plan is to set up a disaster in a different ''country'' so Cassius wouldn't disturb his plan. |
* [[All Powerful Bystander]]: Cassius Bright, he's the strongest Bracer in Liberl, an ex-[[Master Swordsman]], a resident [[Mary Tzu]], he managed to {{spoiler|[[Curb Stomp Battle|Curb Stomp]] the final boss of FC}}, the earth trembles when he spins his rod, second strongest character in the trilogy after Loewe according to [[Word of God|the author]], in fact he's so broken the [[Big Bad]]'s plan is to set up a disaster in a different ''country'' so Cassius wouldn't disturb his plan. |
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** Interestingly, though, {{spoiler|he doesn't see ''himself'' this way; as far as he's concerned, he's a gigantic fuckup who deserves to live [[The Atoner|the life of an outcast because of what he failed to do]]... namely, [[The Lost Lenore|save his wife]].}} |
** Interestingly, though, {{spoiler|he doesn't see ''himself'' this way; as far as he's concerned, he's a gigantic fuckup who deserves to live [[The Atoner|the life of an outcast because of what he failed to do]]... namely, [[The Lost Lenore|save his wife]].}} |
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* [[All in |
* [[All in a Row]]: How the party appears on the travel map. |
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* [[All There in the Manual]]: If the in-game universe wasn't complete enough, there are multiple drama-cds, comics and game guides which expand on the universe further. Recently released was a whopping 800-page Scenario Book for the second chapter. |
* [[All There in the Manual]]: If the in-game universe wasn't complete enough, there are multiple drama-cds, comics and game guides which expand on the universe further. Recently released was a whopping 800-page Scenario Book for the second chapter. |
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* [[Aloof Big Brother]]: {{spoiler|Loewe to Joshua.}} They are not related but the dynamic is the same. |
* [[Aloof Big Brother]]: {{spoiler|Loewe to Joshua.}} They are not related but the dynamic is the same. |
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* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: In The Third's sub quest to open the Star Door, one of the Star Door shows us the meeting of Ouroboros leaders meeting and their conversation regarding the events in Liberl and revealing that this is all just the beginning. After the meeting, Campanella laughs finding this would be interesting, then... |
* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: In The Third's sub quest to open the Star Door, one of the Star Door shows us the meeting of Ouroboros leaders meeting and their conversation regarding the events in Liberl and revealing that this is all just the beginning. After the meeting, Campanella laughs finding this would be interesting, then... |
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{{quote| '''Canpanella''': By the way...i know i'm not the one to talk, but...*looks into the screen* i don't know who but can you please stop peeping?}} |
{{quote| '''Canpanella''': By the way...i know i'm not the one to talk, but...*looks into the screen* i don't know who but can you please stop peeping?}} |
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* [[Brother |
* [[Brother-Sister Incest]]: Something that jams up the gears of some people who play the game. Estelle and Joshua aren't even [[Not Blood Siblings|remotely related by blood]] {{spoiler|and Joshua may not even be exactly ''human'' anymore}}, and they first met as not-quite-teens, so they weren't so young that [[wikipedia:Imprinting chr(28)psychologychr(29)#Westermarck effect|the Westermarck effect]] would kick in to prevent them falling for each other... but at the same time, they basically lived together as siblings for years and Cassius even formally adopted Joshua after the events at the start of the game, when he came to live with the Brights, so he ''has'' the last name Bright himself. Some fans just try not to think too hard about that. |
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** Of course, this all serves as a bit of a [[The Stinger|stinger]] later on {{spoiler|when Joshua openly abandons the Bright name once he considers himself no longer worthy of being called by that name, and takes the name Joshua Astray}}. |
** Of course, this all serves as a bit of a [[The Stinger|stinger]] later on {{spoiler|when Joshua openly abandons the Bright name once he considers himself no longer worthy of being called by that name, and takes the name Joshua Astray}}. |
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** The really hilarious part to all this is that [[Everyone Can See It|a ton of incidental characters in the Rolent area]] [[Lampshade Hanging|are surprised this isn't happening]] at the start of FC; meanwhile, Estelle and Joshua are ''both'' oblivious and wonder what the hell everyone is going on about. {{spoiler|This doesn't really become an issue until Joshua tosses away the Bright name and leaves to take his revenge, forcing Estelle to examine how she feels about him.}} |
** The really hilarious part to all this is that [[Everyone Can See It|a ton of incidental characters in the Rolent area]] [[Lampshade Hanging|are surprised this isn't happening]] at the start of FC; meanwhile, Estelle and Joshua are ''both'' oblivious and wonder what the hell everyone is going on about. {{spoiler|This doesn't really become an issue until Joshua tosses away the Bright name and leaves to take his revenge, forcing Estelle to examine how she feels about him.}} |
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* [[Disney Death]]: {{spoiler|Walter and Blueblanc actually survived the collision of Liberl Ark, as revealed in Star Door #14.}} |
* [[Disney Death]]: {{spoiler|Walter and Blueblanc actually survived the collision of Liberl Ark, as revealed in Star Door #14.}} |
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** {{spoiler|Lucciola actually survived too, as revealed in Ao. The fortune teller in Michelam? It's her.}} |
** {{spoiler|Lucciola actually survived too, as revealed in Ao. The fortune teller in Michelam? It's her.}} |
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* [[Doing It for |
* [[Doing It for the Art]]: How else do you explain [[XSEED Games]]'s willingness to localize a trilogy of games with such ginormous amounts of text, which no other localizer showed signs of having plans to work on? |
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* [[The Dragon]]: The Black Knight, AKA {{spoiler|Loewe back from the dead}}, serves this role to the king of Phantasma in the third installment. |
* [[The Dragon]]: The Black Knight, AKA {{spoiler|Loewe back from the dead}}, serves this role to the king of Phantasma in the third installment. |
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* [[Dual-Wielding]]: How Joshua prefers to fight. |
* [[Dual-Wielding]]: How Joshua prefers to fight. |
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* [[Dude Looks Like a Lady]]: Joshua can ding this at times; his Japanese VA being female does not exactly help. {{spoiler|Less prominent after he embraces his identity as the Black Fang.}} |
* [[Dude Looks Like a Lady]]: Joshua can ding this at times; his Japanese VA being female does not exactly help. {{spoiler|Less prominent after he embraces his identity as the Black Fang.}} |
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* [[Dysfunction Junction]]: The game does manage to avoid treading into [[Wangst]] territory, but good ''grief'', the party has some issues. When all is said and done, let's see: {{spoiler|we have ''two'' nigh-superpowered [[Tyke Bomb]] assassins, one of whom constantly wrestles with the happiness he experienced with the Brights versus what he's done and is capable of doing and the other of whom is [[Ax Crazy|coming unglued]] under the constant pressure, even in her ''own mind'', to kill; an imperial prince who is utterly disgusted with his family and, by extension, himself; another, local princess who absolutely wants nothing to do with the responsibility thrust upon her; a woman who wants nothing more [[Bottle Fairy|than to bury her past in alcohol]]; a man who is driven [[The Atoner|by the loss of his entire family]] and the guilt he feels over being unable to prevent it; a priest who has problems with his faith and serious doubts about his place in the world; a girl with a massive [[I Just Want to Be Badass|wannabe-hero complex]]; and an aristrocrat-turned-sky-pirate who has rather serious entitlement issues}}. Estelle is lucky Tita and Zane are around in all three games, or she'd find she's the [[Only Sane Man]] among this cast of nutters. |
* [[Dysfunction Junction]]: The game does manage to avoid treading into [[Wangst]] territory, but good ''grief'', the party has some issues. When all is said and done, let's see: {{spoiler|we have ''two'' nigh-superpowered [[Tyke Bomb]] assassins, one of whom constantly wrestles with the happiness he experienced with the Brights versus what he's done and is capable of doing and the other of whom is [[Ax Crazy|coming unglued]] under the constant pressure, even in her ''own mind'', to kill; an imperial prince who is utterly disgusted with his family and, by extension, himself; another, local princess who absolutely wants nothing to do with the responsibility thrust upon her; a woman who wants nothing more [[Bottle Fairy|than to bury her past in alcohol]]; a man who is driven [[The Atoner|by the loss of his entire family]] and the guilt he feels over being unable to prevent it; a priest who has problems with his faith and serious doubts about his place in the world; a girl with a massive [[I Just Want to Be Badass|wannabe-hero complex]]; and an aristrocrat-turned-sky-pirate who has rather serious entitlement issues}}. Estelle is lucky Tita and Zane are around in all three games, or she'd find she's the [[Only Sane Man]] among this cast of nutters. |
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* [[Easter Egg]]: There are several paintings within the game that show Falcom's other installments such as [[ |
* [[Easter Egg]]: There are several paintings within the game that show Falcom's other installments such as [[Ys]]. |
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* [[Elegant Gothic Lolita]]: Renne, good lord Renne. {{spoiler|This is notably played for ''creepy'' factor later on.}} |
* [[Elegant Gothic Lolita]]: Renne, good lord Renne. {{spoiler|This is notably played for ''creepy'' factor later on.}} |
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* [[Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors]] |
* [[Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors]] |
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* [[The Empire]]: Perhaps not too surprising for a Japanese RPG. Their being billed as fairly obvious villains and an external threat is not very surprising at all. {{spoiler|The fact that, ultimately, you have to save them from full-scale slaughter alongside everyone else, however, may be rather more surprising!}} |
* [[The Empire]]: Perhaps not too surprising for a Japanese RPG. Their being billed as fairly obvious villains and an external threat is not very surprising at all. {{spoiler|The fact that, ultimately, you have to save them from full-scale slaughter alongside everyone else, however, may be rather more surprising!}} |
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* [[Enfante Terrible]]: {{spoiler|Renne}}. |
* [[Enfante Terrible]]: {{spoiler|Renne}}. |
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* [[Everything's Better |
* [[Everything's Better with Princesses]]: {{spoiler|Kloe}} is a princess, {{spoiler|Olivier}} is a prince... |
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* [[Expy]]: Dr. Russel is often described as "[[Mega Man ( |
* [[Expy]]: Dr. Russel is often described as "[[Mega Man (video game)|Dr. Wily]] gone good". |
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** Olivier is a guns-and-devices using, blond-pony-tailed, blue-eyed [[Handsome Lech|ladies man]] {{spoiler|who happens to be royalty and uses the lechery partially as a coping mechanism}}. This draws a number of comparisons to [[Final Fantasy VI|a certain King of Figaro]]. |
** Olivier is a guns-and-devices using, blond-pony-tailed, blue-eyed [[Handsome Lech|ladies man]] {{spoiler|who happens to be royalty and uses the lechery partially as a coping mechanism}}. This draws a number of comparisons to [[Final Fantasy VI|a certain King of Figaro]]. |
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* [[Eyes of Gold]]: Joshua. And Renne. {{spoiler|We learn in [[Zero no Kiseki|Zero]] that this Means Something with Renne, causing ''no end'' of speculation about Joshua's family and early history.}} |
* [[Eyes of Gold]]: Joshua. And Renne. {{spoiler|We learn in [[Zero no Kiseki|Zero]] that this Means Something with Renne, causing ''no end'' of speculation about Joshua's family and early history.}} |
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* [[Hero of Another Story]]: A lot of the other bracers, particularly Team Kurt (Kurt, Carna, Grant and Anelace) come across this way. {{spoiler|Kurt and Anelace join the party for a bit in SC, and Anelace is a somewhat more permanent fixture for Third.}} Cassius ''definitely'' comes across this way. {{spoiler|Hell, half of Weissmann's plot in FC is to create a whole other crisis for Cassius to be the hero of so that he doesn't jam up the gears in Liberl.}} |
* [[Hero of Another Story]]: A lot of the other bracers, particularly Team Kurt (Kurt, Carna, Grant and Anelace) come across this way. {{spoiler|Kurt and Anelace join the party for a bit in SC, and Anelace is a somewhat more permanent fixture for Third.}} Cassius ''definitely'' comes across this way. {{spoiler|Hell, half of Weissmann's plot in FC is to create a whole other crisis for Cassius to be the hero of so that he doesn't jam up the gears in Liberl.}} |
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** Also, this game takes its NPC dialogs seriously. If you take the time to [[Talk to Everyone]] as often as possible, you will find a ''lot'' of recurring NPCs all having their own stories going on in parallel to yours. It's quite fun really. |
** Also, this game takes its NPC dialogs seriously. If you take the time to [[Talk to Everyone]] as often as possible, you will find a ''lot'' of recurring NPCs all having their own stories going on in parallel to yours. It's quite fun really. |
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* [[Hey, It's That Voice!]]: You want another reason Lowe is awesome? [[Hikaru Midorikawa|He's]] [[Tales of Destiny |
* [[Hey, It's That Voice!]]: You want another reason Lowe is awesome? [[Hikaru Midorikawa|He's]] [[Tales of Destiny|Leon Magnus]]! |
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** Olivier is voiced by none other than [[Takehito Koyasu]]. You know, [[Gundam Seed|Mu La Flaga]]. Among a billion other roles. This is one you really ''can't'' unhear once you hear it. |
** Olivier is voiced by none other than [[Takehito Koyasu]]. You know, [[Gundam Seed|Mu La Flaga]]. Among a billion other roles. This is one you really ''can't'' unhear once you hear it. |
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** Joshua is voiced by [[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|Rossiu]]. Once you hear it, you can't unhear it. Alternately, he's [[.hack|Elk]]. |
** Joshua is voiced by [[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|Rossiu]]. Once you hear it, you can't unhear it. Alternately, he's [[.hack|Elk]]. |
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** Oh yeah, listen closely. Agate? He's [[Ace Attorney|Ryuichi Naruhodo]]. You know, JAPANESE PHOENIX WRIGHT. Once you hear it, you keep expecting him to object to everything (except Tita). |
** Oh yeah, listen closely. Agate? He's [[Ace Attorney|Ryuichi Naruhodo]]. You know, JAPANESE PHOENIX WRIGHT. Once you hear it, you keep expecting him to object to everything (except Tita). |
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** And Estelle? Sounds like a certain other [[Mahou Sensei Negima|twin tailed Action Girl]] |
** And Estelle? Sounds like a certain other [[Mahou Sensei Negima|twin tailed Action Girl]] |
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** Kloe is [[Sailor Moon|Hotaru]] and [[ |
** Kloe is [[Sailor Moon|Hotaru]] and [[Dragon Ball|Videl]] |
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* [[Hikaru Midorikawa]]: Because Lowe wasn't awesome enough already. And what do you know, [[Takehito Koyasu|Takehito]] [[Relationship Voice Actor|Koyasu]] is in the game too... |
* [[Hikaru Midorikawa]]: Because Lowe wasn't awesome enough already. And what do you know, [[Takehito Koyasu|Takehito]] [[Relationship Voice Actor|Koyasu]] is in the game too... |
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* [[Huge Guy, Tiny Girl]]: Agate and Tita have a dynamic like this, especially since Agate is pretty much the second most physically-imposing party member in the game, behind Zane. |
* [[Huge Guy, Tiny Girl]]: Agate and Tita have a dynamic like this, especially since Agate is pretty much the second most physically-imposing party member in the game, behind Zane. |
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* [[Impossibly Cool Clothes]]: Most of the cast. Joshua and Estelle are by far the most sensibly-dressed, and the latter has a tendency to wear a ''bomber jacket'' with cut-off sleeves as everyday wear. |
* [[Impossibly Cool Clothes]]: Most of the cast. Joshua and Estelle are by far the most sensibly-dressed, and the latter has a tendency to wear a ''bomber jacket'' with cut-off sleeves as everyday wear. |
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* [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain]]: Gilbert, Gilbert, and Gilbert. |
* [[Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain]]: Gilbert, Gilbert, and Gilbert. |
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* [[Intercontinuity Crossover]]: Alternative Saga crosses Sora no Kiseki with [[ |
* [[Intercontinuity Crossover]]: Alternative Saga crosses Sora no Kiseki with [[Ys]] using the engine from Ys Seven and includes support characters from Gurumin, Zwei, Brandish, Legend of Heroes III and Zero no Kiseki. |
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* [[Interface Spoiler]]: Josette, Anelace and Kurt are all voiced when you face them in combat in FC, despite their compatriots ''not'' being voiced and despite them not joining the party proper. {{spoiler|Three guesses as to what happens in SC, and the first two don't count.}} |
* [[Interface Spoiler]]: Josette, Anelace and Kurt are all voiced when you face them in combat in FC, despite their compatriots ''not'' being voiced and despite them not joining the party proper. {{spoiler|Three guesses as to what happens in SC, and the first two don't count.}} |
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** When Renne joins you as an NPC, you will probably notice that she somehow has a whooping 10202 HP (compared to the 3-4k that your party members are likely having at the moment). {{spoiler|It all makes sense at the end of the chapter.}} |
** When Renne joins you as an NPC, you will probably notice that she somehow has a whooping 10202 HP (compared to the 3-4k that your party members are likely having at the moment). {{spoiler|It all makes sense at the end of the chapter.}} |
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* [[The Maze]]: A ''lot'' of dungeons are like this. |
* [[The Maze]]: A ''lot'' of dungeons are like this. |
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* [[Meaningful Name]]: Loewe's real name is "Leonhardt" which means "The determination of the lion", hence why he is called "Loewe" which means, of course, "lion" in German. |
* [[Meaningful Name]]: Loewe's real name is "Leonhardt" which means "The determination of the lion", hence why he is called "Loewe" which means, of course, "lion" in German. |
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** Also present in the ''title'', at least in the original Japanese. You see, the kanji used for "Sora no Kiseki" fairly clearly state "{{[[[Spell My Name |
** Also present in the ''title'', at least in the original Japanese. You see, the kanji used for "Sora no Kiseki" fairly clearly state "{{[[[Spell My Name with an "S"]] Tracks/Wagon Trail/Path/etc.}}] of/in the Sky", but "Kiseki", as a spoken word, has another meaning: "miracle". The title can therefore be heard as "Miracle in the Sky" in addition to the written meaning. {{spoiler|This gets ''extremely'' meaningful, ''both ways'', during the second chapter.}} |
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*** This gets especially crazy (awesome) with the vocal theme song to SC, "Silver Will, Golden Wings": ''every single time'' the word "kiseki" is said in that song, it can mean either "trail/path" or "miracle" and the song will still make perfect sense. |
*** This gets especially crazy (awesome) with the vocal theme song to SC, "Silver Will, Golden Wings": ''every single time'' the word "kiseki" is said in that song, it can mean either "trail/path" or "miracle" and the song will still make perfect sense. |
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** Estelle's surname is ''Bright'', everyone thinks she is as bright as the sun that shines through the darkness. She is even called the ''Sun Girl'' by Kevin in 3rd. |
** Estelle's surname is ''Bright'', everyone thinks she is as bright as the sun that shines through the darkness. She is even called the ''Sun Girl'' by Kevin in 3rd. |
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* [[The Omniscient Council of Vagueness]]: Ouroborus's headquarters |
* [[The Omniscient Council of Vagueness]]: Ouroborus's headquarters |
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* [[Ominous Floating Castle|Ominous Floating City]]: {{spoiler|The Liberl Ark}}. |
* [[Ominous Floating Castle|Ominous Floating City]]: {{spoiler|The Liberl Ark}}. |
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* [[One Game for |
* [[One Game for the Price of Two]]: Accusations of this went flying around during SC's development (and we can most likely expect them to show up among American reviewers and new fans, too). In Japan this died down once people saw how mind-blowingly ''huge'' SC was and how it simply ''couldn't'' have been included in the original release. Remember, two UMDs for the PSP version, and it really makes use of that second UMD. |
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** Third, meanwhile, sparked [[Mission Pack Sequel|rather different accusations]]. |
** Third, meanwhile, sparked [[Mission Pack Sequel|rather different accusations]]. |
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* [[One-Winged Angel]]: {{spoiler|Weissmann in SC and the Lord of Phantasma in Third}} |
* [[One-Winged Angel]]: {{spoiler|Weissmann in SC and the Lord of Phantasma in Third}} |
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** First is {{spoiler|Joshua and Renne. Joshua even acknowledges this openly; to him, Renne represents everything he ''could'' have been had he not lost to Cassius and met the Brights. This is largely what fuels his ardent desire to help her; her behavior is so radically different from his own, but he could have been just like her - even fighting at her side! - had his life turned out even a little differently.}} |
** First is {{spoiler|Joshua and Renne. Joshua even acknowledges this openly; to him, Renne represents everything he ''could'' have been had he not lost to Cassius and met the Brights. This is largely what fuels his ardent desire to help her; her behavior is so radically different from his own, but he could have been just like her - even fighting at her side! - had his life turned out even a little differently.}} |
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** The second is {{spoiler|Estelle and her own father, Cassius. This one isn't obvious at first, but by the end of SC it's become clear that the two are in some ways mirror reflections of one another - they both have the same job, the same skills, and even end up facing similar dilemmas and quests, but Cassius was willing to mortgage his ideals and morality in order to accomplish his goals. This makes him quite a bit different from Estelle, who is determined to save ''everyone'' she can, regardless of the cost to herself.}} |
** The second is {{spoiler|Estelle and her own father, Cassius. This one isn't obvious at first, but by the end of SC it's become clear that the two are in some ways mirror reflections of one another - they both have the same job, the same skills, and even end up facing similar dilemmas and quests, but Cassius was willing to mortgage his ideals and morality in order to accomplish his goals. This makes him quite a bit different from Estelle, who is determined to save ''everyone'' she can, regardless of the cost to herself.}} |
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* [[Shout-Out]]: One can't really help but suspect that Anelace's outfit was intentionally designed to resemble [[Ys |
* [[Shout-Out]]: One can't really help but suspect that Anelace's outfit was intentionally designed to resemble [[Ys|Adol's]] "classic" armor. |
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** In the English version, during the ending walkabout sequence in Grancel, one NPC is taking a picture of his daughter and says "Okay, say [[Earthbound|"fuzzy pickles"!]]" |
** In the English version, during the ending walkabout sequence in Grancel, one NPC is taking a picture of his daughter and says "Okay, say [[Earthbound|"fuzzy pickles"!]]" |
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* [[Sinister Scythe]]: {{spoiler|Your first hint that Renne only ''looks'' cute and innocent.}} |
* [[Sinister Scythe]]: {{spoiler|Your first hint that Renne only ''looks'' cute and innocent.}} |
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* [[Smug Snake]]: Most villains. {{spoiler|The ones you should be afraid of are the ones who ''aren't'' this, at least when you initially meet them.}} |
* [[Smug Snake]]: Most villains. {{spoiler|The ones you should be afraid of are the ones who ''aren't'' this, at least when you initially meet them.}} |
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* [[Sorting Algorithm of Evil]] |
* [[Sorting Algorithm of Evil]] |
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* [[Spell My Name |
* [[Spell My Name with an "S"]]: While officially spelled Patel Matel, given that {{spoiler|Renne repeatedly states that it's the only father or mother she needs}} it should probably be translated as Pater Mater, Latin for 'Father and Mother'. |
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** The game tends to feature a lot of R/L sounds, which of course cause contortions when trying to transcribe certain names. Liberl/Riber/Libel/Ribel, anyone? |
** The game tends to feature a lot of R/L sounds, which of course cause contortions when trying to transcribe certain names. Liberl/Riber/Libel/Ribel, anyone? |
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*** Or how about Ries/Lise/Liese/Riese/etc etc etc? XSEED hasn't even ''announced'' what they're doing about her name yet. |
*** Or how about Ries/Lise/Liese/Riese/etc etc etc? XSEED hasn't even ''announced'' what they're doing about her name yet. |
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*** "Olivier" also has it kind of bad... since his "masculine" name is phonetically spelled "Olivie" in katakana. (The soft r at the end is "implied" in transcription at times.) |
*** "Olivier" also has it kind of bad... since his "masculine" name is phonetically spelled "Olivie" in katakana. (The soft r at the end is "implied" in transcription at times.) |
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*** Is it "Loewe" or "Löwe"? Even Falcom sources disagree at times. Both work, though (they're the same word in German). "Leo" is also quite close to the given katakana, and would probably be a bit clearer to English speakers. XSEED chose to go with "Loewe". |
*** Is it "Loewe" or "Löwe"? Even Falcom sources disagree at times. Both work, though (they're the same word in German). "Leo" is also quite close to the given katakana, and would probably be a bit clearer to English speakers. XSEED chose to go with "Loewe". |
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*** "Scherazard" dings this a bit too. Falcom is usually consistent in spelling her name in English, but some fans prefer "Sherazade" or some varation therein, since it also matches the katakana and [[Arabian Nights |
*** "Scherazard" dings this a bit too. Falcom is usually consistent in spelling her name in English, but some fans prefer "Sherazade" or some varation therein, since it also matches the katakana and [[Arabian Nights|makes the obvious reference]] a little clearer to English speakers. |
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** The English version released by XSEED makes a few minor name alterations as well for pronunciation purposes - namely, Klose to ''Kloe'', Zin to ''Zane'', Keel to ''Kyle'', Doln to ''Don'', Kurz to ''Kurt'' and Rolance to ''Lorence''. |
** The English version released by XSEED makes a few minor name alterations as well for pronunciation purposes - namely, Klose to ''Kloe'', Zin to ''Zane'', Keel to ''Kyle'', Doln to ''Don'', Kurz to ''Kurt'' and Rolance to ''Lorence''. |
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** Relatedly, in the original Japanese, the Goddess of the Septian Church was named "Eidos". [[wikipedia:Eidos Interactive|For fairly obvious reasons]], this was a problem in English, and so the name was changed to Aidios. Also counts as a [[Bilingual Bonus]], since in Spanish, Aidios, pronounced phonetically, sounds like the Spanish exclamation ''¡Ay Dios!'' (Translated as ''Oh God!'') |
** Relatedly, in the original Japanese, the Goddess of the Septian Church was named "Eidos". [[wikipedia:Eidos Interactive|For fairly obvious reasons]], this was a problem in English, and so the name was changed to Aidios. Also counts as a [[Bilingual Bonus]], since in Spanish, Aidios, pronounced phonetically, sounds like the Spanish exclamation ''¡Ay Dios!'' (Translated as ''Oh God!'') |
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*** During the scene at the end of FC wherein {{spoiler|Joshua and Weissmann confront one another}}, the XSEED translation uses ''both'' "Enforcer" and "Legion". |
*** During the scene at the end of FC wherein {{spoiler|Joshua and Weissmann confront one another}}, the XSEED translation uses ''both'' "Enforcer" and "Legion". |
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*** Relatedly, the [[Red Baron|Ouroboros codename]] for Enforcer Fifteen runs into a problem as well. For all the other Enforcers, the "intended" English version of their codenames is given in secondary sources, particularly promo websites - "Sword Emperor" for 剣帝 (''kentei''), "Phantom Thief" for 怪盗紳士 (''kaitou shinshi'') and so on. With Fifteen, however, all we have is the kanji - 殲滅天使, ''senmetsu tenshi''. The "angel" part is obvious, but there have been some debates over the best way to render "senmetsu" (which, most literally, means "total destruction/slaughter/annihilation/etc; [[Apocalypse How]] in a can, basically). "Angel of Extermination" is one of the more common translations, though some fans feel this is a little awkward; others go with "Annihilation Angel" or "Angel of Slaughter". XSEED has not yet announced an official translation for the term. |
*** Relatedly, the [[Red Baron|Ouroboros codename]] for Enforcer Fifteen runs into a problem as well. For all the other Enforcers, the "intended" English version of their codenames is given in secondary sources, particularly promo websites - "Sword Emperor" for 剣帝 (''kentei''), "Phantom Thief" for 怪盗紳士 (''kaitou shinshi'') and so on. With Fifteen, however, all we have is the kanji - 殲滅天使, ''senmetsu tenshi''. The "angel" part is obvious, but there have been some debates over the best way to render "senmetsu" (which, most literally, means "total destruction/slaughter/annihilation/etc; [[Apocalypse How]] in a can, basically). "Angel of Extermination" is one of the more common translations, though some fans feel this is a little awkward; others go with "Annihilation Angel" or "Angel of Slaughter". XSEED has not yet announced an official translation for the term. |
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* [[Sprite Polygon Mix]]: One of Japan's most famous recent examples. While not extremely sophisticated by modern standards (though FC wasn't too bad for 2004), it's still the best-looking game out of the group that uses the ''[[Ys |
* [[Sprite Polygon Mix]]: One of Japan's most famous recent examples. While not extremely sophisticated by modern standards (though FC wasn't too bad for 2004), it's still the best-looking game out of the group that uses the ''[[Ys|Ark of Naphistim]]'' engine. |
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* [[Standard Status Effects]] |
* [[Standard Status Effects]] |
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* [[Stripperiffic]]: ''Scherazard'' |
* [[Stripperiffic]]: ''Scherazard'' |
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* [[Very Definitely Final Dungeon]]: ''Several'', across multiple chapters. |
* [[Very Definitely Final Dungeon]]: ''Several'', across multiple chapters. |
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* [[Wake Up Call Boss]]: The first boss of 3rd. |
* [[Wake Up Call Boss]]: The first boss of 3rd. |
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* [[Walking the Earth]]: The game is very "[[ |
* [[Walking the Earth]]: The game is very "[[Ys]]-scale" about this. While you will, naturally, do some wandering about (Estelle and Joshua are "Bracers", or adventurers who openly wander about doin' good (with organized HQs in multiple towns even)), the game is confined to the Liberl Kingdom in terms of scope. This is partially because the crisis is local, and partially out of realism since wandering the planet, even with a conveyance, would take months. |
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* [[Wham! Episode]]: The end of the First Chapter. {{spoiler|Joshua is the Black Fang of Ouroboros. He blames himself for the death of his sister, he's been an unwitting mole in the Guild of Bracers since the ''opening text boxes'' of the game and is/was a pawn of Weissmann. He leaves Estelle behind so that he can... settle things. At the very end, Estelle sets off after him.}} This one left people ''spinning'' when the game was first released, and marked the point at which the main narrative started to get a ''lot'' [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism|darker]]. |
* [[Wham! Episode]]: The end of the First Chapter. {{spoiler|Joshua is the Black Fang of Ouroboros. He blames himself for the death of his sister, he's been an unwitting mole in the Guild of Bracers since the ''opening text boxes'' of the game and is/was a pawn of Weissmann. He leaves Estelle behind so that he can... settle things. At the very end, Estelle sets off after him.}} This one left people ''spinning'' when the game was first released, and marked the point at which the main narrative started to get a ''lot'' [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism|darker]]. |
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* [[Wham! Line]]: "Allow me to clear away your ''confusion''. *fingersnap*" Congratuations, Joshua, {{spoiler|you now remember your place and history as one of the Enforcers of Ouroboros.}} |
* [[Wham! Line]]: "Allow me to clear away your ''confusion''. *fingersnap*" Congratuations, Joshua, {{spoiler|you now remember your place and history as one of the Enforcers of Ouroboros.}} |
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** "Enforcer Fifteen - The Angel of Extermination<ref>[[Spell My Name |
** "Enforcer Fifteen - The Angel of Extermination<ref>[[Spell My Name with an "S"|/Slaughter/Annihilation/etc]]</ref> - {{spoiler|Renne}}." [[Flat What|What.]] ''[[Oh Crap|What.]]'' |
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** "Now, hurry and take off that disgusting mask of yours...Lord of Phantasma--No, {{spoiler|RUFINA ARGENT!}}" |
** "Now, hurry and take off that disgusting mask of yours...Lord of Phantasma--No, {{spoiler|RUFINA ARGENT!}}" |
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* [[Whip It Good]]: Scherazard |
* [[Whip It Good]]: Scherazard |
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[[Category:Legend of Heroes VI]] |
[[Category:Legend of Heroes VI]] |
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[[Category:Broken image markup]] |
[[Category:Broken image markup]] |
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[[Category:Category:Broken image markup]] |
Revision as of 15:25, 8 April 2014
This series contains examples of:
* Action Girl: Pretty much all of the playable female characters are this (it's that kind of game), but even then Estelle, our protagonist, manages to stand out. * Actually Four Mooks: Played straight with most of the random battles, where a single monster on the field map turns out to be one or more. * Adam Smith Hates Your Guts: That he does. Even at the end of the game, when you are explicitly saving the entire kingdom from a shattering cataclysm and pretty much everyone has acknowledged this, even major characters will still charge you for items. * All Powerful Bystander: Cassius Bright, he's the strongest Bracer in Liberl, an ex-Master Swordsman, a resident Mary Tzu, he managed to Curb Stomp the final boss of FC, the earth trembles when he spins his rod, second strongest character in the trilogy after Loewe according to the author, in fact he's so broken the Big Bad's plan is to set up a disaster in a different country so Cassius wouldn't disturb his plan. ** Interestingly, though, he doesn't see himself this way; as far as he's concerned, he's a gigantic fuckup who deserves to live the life of an outcast because of what he failed to do... namely, save his wife. * All in a Row: How the party appears on the travel map. * All There in the Manual: If the in-game universe wasn't complete enough, there are multiple drama-cds, comics and game guides which expand on the universe further. Recently released was a whopping 800-page Scenario Book for the second chapter. * Aloof Big Brother: Loewe to Joshua. They are not related but the dynamic is the same. * Always Someone Better: Cassius, no matter how many great deeds Estelle has done to save the world, Cassius always managed to top everything that she and her party has done, then again we're talking about Cassius here... * Anachronism Stew: Applies somewhat, especially to the party members. This is a fairly modern setting which has automobile analogues, flying ships, guns and even includes laptops (well, briefcase-tops, Tita has one), but out of sixteen playable characters between the three chapters, only three use guns, with most of the other characters preferring melee weapons and the only other ranged user wielding a crossbow. (Okay, Tita uses enough gun to count for an entire party, but still.) The clothes (especially uniforms) are way, way more 19th century than modern, to boot. * Anticlimax Boss: Loewe used to be this, but after Falcom released a patch to upgrade him, he's sometimes considered to be harder than even the last boss. * Art Shift: The cover art for 3rd is very different from the cover art for the previous games and the art used in the games themselves. * Ascended Extra: Several popular NPCs in first two games become playable in the last installment. Kevin even becomes the main protagonist! * The Atoner: Col. Richard in Third. Also, Cassius throughout most of the trilogy. * Badass Army: The army of the Liberl Kingdom doesn't come across as this at first (that "gate music" doesn't help), but the special divisions like Special Ops and the Royal Guards manage to make an impact in FC, and the entire army steps up to the plate magnificently in SC. * Badass Adorable: Renne and Tita. Estelle may also count as well. * Badass Family: The Bright family. Enough said. * Badass Longcoat: Loewe, in order to counter this Joshua relies on his Scarf of Asskicking. Olivier and Kevin wear these as well, Olivier having several over the course of the plot. * Bag of Spilling: Slightly subverted in that while the characters lose all their items, their levels can be carried into the next game if the clear data of the previous game is present. * Battle Butler / Cool Old Guy: Butler Philips who used to be the captain of the Kingdom's royal guard. * Battle Couple: Estelle and Joshua basically define the trope, especially in the later parts of the story. * BFS: Agate's sword. * The Big Guy: Zane and Agate share this role. * Beware the Nice Ones: Joshua may look a bit girly, but he's called "The Black Fang" because he is that dangerous. He's usually a pretty chill, nice dude, but if you threaten to harm Estelle? Aidios help you. The mayor of Ruan learns this the hard way in FC, which even freaks Estelle out a little. ** Renne often comes across as sweet and cuddly, even after The Reveal about her. She's also the most emotionally disturbed member of the entire cast, with accompanying violence. ** This applies to Leonhardt, too, even when he's posing as "Lorence". He is capable of being disarmingly nice and polite, even when you're actively fighting him. * Big Damn Heroes: FC's final chapter. The princess is rescued but a little girl has been taken hostage. Ohai, Schera, who we haven't seen since 1/4 of the way into the game. * Big Eater * Big Screwed-Up Family: The imperial royal family is implied to be one. If Olivier is a good representative, man, they have to be kind of messed up. * Black Knight: There's one in Third. Anyone who played the last two games can guess that it's Loewe. * Blood Knight: Walter in SC * Bokukko: Josette. Estelle actually calls her this. * Bonus Boss * Bottle Fairy: Scherazard. Aina combines this with Big Eater ** Aina too. Not only that, she's a bottomless hole. * Brainwashed and Crazy: Weissman reveals he did this to Joshua. * Breakout Character: Kevin becomes the main character of The Third; it might be said that the reason why it's called The Third and not Third Chapter was because Estelle and Joshua aren't really the main characters anymore. ** Loewe, despite the fact that this guy has officially died in SC ending, Falcom seems to really loves this guy to the point they decide to bring him back in The Third and makes his involvement in the game as the last moment that Joshua had as the main character in The Third. Then you have Vantage Master Portable where he and Renne becomes a playable main character instead of the other party members in the game, even worse in Alternative Saga, he just gets in there without any explanation despite he is already dead, at least Vantage Master Portable takes place before SC but Alternative Saga obviously takes place after The Third making it impossible for him to be there in the first place but Falcom think it's not a reason enough to not to include him in the game. And then just recently Falcom announced that they're making a prequel comic adaption with him as the main character... * Break the Cutie: Joshua, Renne, Kevin, and Loewe's pasts are riddled with this, although the first three eventually recover due to the Power of Love. * Breaking the Fourth Wall: In The Third's sub quest to open the Star Door, one of the Star Door shows us the meeting of Ouroboros leaders meeting and their conversation regarding the events in Liberl and revealing that this is all just the beginning. After the meeting, Campanella laughs finding this would be interesting, then...Canpanella: By the way...i know i'm not the one to talk, but...*looks into the screen* i don't know who but can you please stop peeping? |
and cynicism, to the point that even Estelle begins to crack under the strain. Ultimately it swings back toward the idealist side of things in the grand finale, though. The title can be heard as "Miracle in the Sky" in Japanese for a reason, after all.
- The third chapter, meanwhile, works partially because it examines the concept of this and how we bury ourselves in our perceptions. It even uses Loewe and Cassius to hammer the point home.
- Smug Snake: Most villains. The ones you should be afraid of are the ones who aren't this, at least when you initially meet them.
- Sorting Algorithm of Evil
- Spell My Name with an "S": While officially spelled Patel Matel, given that Renne repeatedly states that it's the only father or mother she needs it should probably be translated as Pater Mater, Latin for 'Father and Mother'.
- The game tends to feature a lot of R/L sounds, which of course cause contortions when trying to transcribe certain names. Liberl/Riber/Libel/Ribel, anyone?
- Or how about Ries/Lise/Liese/Riese/etc etc etc? XSEED hasn't even announced what they're doing about her name yet.
- Hell, even the title causes a few problems. If you want to be really strict about it, the kanji for "Kiseki" most literally means "tracks made by a wagon", referring the contrail-like cirrus clouds featured in parts of the game. Even the hardest-core literalist fans agree that "Wagon Tracks of the Sky" is a bit... prosaic, though. Also, the "no" can be rendered as "of" or "in", and both could make sense. Some people prefer "Tracks in the Sky", some people prefer "Path of the Sky", others "Trail/s in the Sky". XSEED Games went with "Trails" (and was also kicking around "Road to the Sky" as an idea for a bit).
- The title also causes a bit of anguish over the fact that it's virtually impossible to get the proper double meaning of the title into English. Which is even worse since it's kind of profound later on in the game.
- A couple characters run into this, too, especially compared to their "given" spelling. "Anelace" is arguably the worst; her name is usually consistently spelled that way, but sometimes it's given as "Analace" or "Analece". Given this, you'd think the last part of her name would sound like, well, a "lace gown", right? No, the actual katakana given for the name actually end up sounding like "Aneras", with a chopped off, short "s", which doesn't match any given spelling. Most fans just throw their hands up at the situation and go with one of the given spellings, despite new fans technically getting the pronunciation wrong consistently; XSEED left it with the "Anelace" spelling as well.
- Renne can throw newcomers off, too; that's a silent "e" at the end of her name, guys. The katakana for her name is literally "re-n", spoken as a single syllable. They most likely avoided calling her "Ren" straight out since, well, that would be a little problematic, even in Japan. A few fans still call her "Ren", though, just for the sake of clarity.
- "Olivier" also has it kind of bad... since his "masculine" name is phonetically spelled "Olivie" in katakana. (The soft r at the end is "implied" in transcription at times.)
- Is it "Loewe" or "Löwe"? Even Falcom sources disagree at times. Both work, though (they're the same word in German). "Leo" is also quite close to the given katakana, and would probably be a bit clearer to English speakers. XSEED chose to go with "Loewe".
- "Scherazard" dings this a bit too. Falcom is usually consistent in spelling her name in English, but some fans prefer "Sherazade" or some varation therein, since it also matches the katakana and makes the obvious reference a little clearer to English speakers.
- The English version released by XSEED makes a few minor name alterations as well for pronunciation purposes - namely, Klose to Kloe, Zin to Zane, Keel to Kyle, Doln to Don, Kurz to Kurt and Rolance to Lorence.
- Relatedly, in the original Japanese, the Goddess of the Septian Church was named "Eidos". For fairly obvious reasons, this was a problem in English, and so the name was changed to Aidios. Also counts as a Bilingual Bonus, since in Spanish, Aidios, pronounced phonetically, sounds like the Spanish exclamation ¡Ay Dios! (Translated as Oh God!)
- A bit of debate also springs up around the title for the agents of Ouroboros. The title is given in kanji as 執行者, shikkousha, which strictly speaking is a term variously applied to "those who perform, execute or serve business" (and also actual executioners) and also has Buddhist connotations for righteousness and the pursuit of enlightenment. However, the kanji are always accompanied by furigana, in katakana, indicating that the word the characters are saying is "Legion", which is meant to be the actual, in-universe term spoken by characters. The problem, of course, is that "legion" is a term for a unit of soldiers and not an individual person, and doesn't really carry the concept of the kanji forward regardless. While a majority of western fans currently stick with the indicated title from Falcom, some do use other terms to try and convey the kanji better - Enforcer, Legionnaire, Executioner and the like have all cropped up over the years.
- During the scene at the end of FC wherein Joshua and Weissmann confront one another, the XSEED translation uses both "Enforcer" and "Legion".
- Relatedly, the Ouroboros codename for Enforcer Fifteen runs into a problem as well. For all the other Enforcers, the "intended" English version of their codenames is given in secondary sources, particularly promo websites - "Sword Emperor" for 剣帝 (kentei), "Phantom Thief" for 怪盗紳士 (kaitou shinshi) and so on. With Fifteen, however, all we have is the kanji - 殲滅天使, senmetsu tenshi. The "angel" part is obvious, but there have been some debates over the best way to render "senmetsu" (which, most literally, means "total destruction/slaughter/annihilation/etc; Apocalypse How in a can, basically). "Angel of Extermination" is one of the more common translations, though some fans feel this is a little awkward; others go with "Annihilation Angel" or "Angel of Slaughter". XSEED has not yet announced an official translation for the term.
- The game tends to feature a lot of R/L sounds, which of course cause contortions when trying to transcribe certain names. Liberl/Riber/Libel/Ribel, anyone?
- Sprite Polygon Mix: One of Japan's most famous recent examples. While not extremely sophisticated by modern standards (though FC wasn't too bad for 2004), it's still the best-looking game out of the group that uses the Ark of Naphistim engine.
- Standard Status Effects
- Stripperiffic: Scherazard
- Student Council President: Jill. Lechter is revealed to be one in charge before Jill, during his time observing Liberl's situation from Jenis Royal Academy.
- Tarot Motifs: Enforcers' number and personality are based on the tarots. Like Renne (XV) is The Devil, or Campanella (0) is The Fool. Loewe is actually an odd one: he is obviously The Emperor (IV), but he's No. II, which is actually The High Priestess. Take a look on the meaning of The High Priestess. Loewe actually fits BOTH The Emperor and The High Priestess.
- Taken for Granite: Kind of. Weissmann turns into a statue of salt by Kevin. After the party left the Liberl Ark, Campanella took the Aurerole from him and then proceed to break Weissmann's now-petrified body into pieces.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind: You guys remember Professor Alba? He's that guy you keep bumping everywhere for Comic Relief conversations, HE IS THE BAD GUY.
- The Southpaw: Remember kids, every swordsman that is left-handed is a Master Swordsman, just ask Loewe.
- Together in Death: Loewe and Karin.
- Token Mini-Moe: Tita and Renne. Renne's appearance is meant to be a Red Herring, however, and later on once she shows her true colors it's played to be as disturbing as possible.
- Tomboy: Estelle practically defines the trope, both as a young girl in the prologue and during the main game itself. Anelace and Josette also have elements of this. Josette resents this perception deep down, though, since she's only doing the kind of work she does because her family's fortune was ruined.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Estelle and Kloe's relationship in a nutshell.
- Translation Convention: Maybe. It's really unclear exactly what the hell the characters are supposed to be speaking; the setting is obviously western european, and the lettering that appears in-game is the Roman-derived modern alphabet. Furthermore, a number of terms appear in kanji - like "orbment" and all related terms or the various ranks in Ouroboros - but then include furigana in katakana above the kanji, indicating what "foreign" word the characters are speaking while retaining meaning for Japanese readers.The original script is full of turns of phrase and whatnot that'd only make sense in Japanese, though, and Kevin is rocking a pretty specific Japanese dialect. Text in-universe is sometimes in English, like the Bright family photo album seen at the end of FC, sometimes not (but never Japanese). Basically, the characters probably aren't speaking Japanese, but the original script sure acts like it's their first language and what they'd be speaking "for real" isn't clear.
- Confusing things even further are names: in Liberl a number of place names (Zeiss, Bose, Ruan, arguably Grancel) and some noble names (like Klaudia von Auslese and her entire family, even pronounced in katakana with a proper, sharp Z-like S) are obviously Germanic, but most other personal names (Estelle Bright, Jill, the Russel family name, Foreman Murdock, Nial/Neal Burns, Dorothy Hyatt, etc. etc.) are all consistently and obviously Anglic in origin and pronunciation. Erebonian names (like Olivier Lenheim, Mueller Vander, Loewe, and Karin) are somewhat more consistently Germanic but still have anomalies such as Joshua Astray. So is Liberl bilingual? Has "Erebonian" seeped into the vernacular of Liberlian? Do the two share a linguistic history? The usually detailed Trails setting is dead silent on the matter. (This is in spite of having a dictionary for cat-speech.)
- Truth in Television: Joshua accurately describes the conditions of what happens to the citizens of a country that focuses on its military might. The notion of high taxes, weapon development, military conscription and others contrasted to a peaceful government focused on peace through diplomacy and trading felt like a Take That against a lot of Western countries, particularly the United States.
- Tyke Bomb: Joshua in FC and SC. Hell, Renne counts too, for that matter. Or should it be "for that Pater"?
- Underestimating Badassery: In the final chapter in FC, when Estelle, Scherazard and Kloe rescue the Queen during the coup d'état, they encounter Liutenant Lorence. Estelle, who defeated his team during the tournament, confidently states that even though he is strong, there is no way he can take the three of them all by himself. Estelle...you are so very, very wrong...
- Unwitting Pawn: The party becomes this to Weissmann in FC. Joshua, in particular, does not take it well.
- Very Definitely Final Dungeon: Several, across multiple chapters.
- Wake Up Call Boss: The first boss of 3rd.
- Walking the Earth: The game is very "Ys-scale" about this. While you will, naturally, do some wandering about (Estelle and Joshua are "Bracers", or adventurers who openly wander about doin' good (with organized HQs in multiple towns even)), the game is confined to the Liberl Kingdom in terms of scope. This is partially because the crisis is local, and partially out of realism since wandering the planet, even with a conveyance, would take months.
- Wham! Episode: The end of the First Chapter. Joshua is the Black Fang of Ouroboros. He blames himself for the death of his sister, he's been an unwitting mole in the Guild of Bracers since the opening text boxes of the game and is/was a pawn of Weissmann. He leaves Estelle behind so that he can... settle things. At the very end, Estelle sets off after him. This one left people spinning when the game was first released, and marked the point at which the main narrative started to get a lot darker.
- Wham! Line: "Allow me to clear away your confusion. *fingersnap*" Congratuations, Joshua, you now remember your place and history as one of the Enforcers of Ouroboros.
- Whip It Good: Scherazard
- Whip Sword: Ries uses one.
- The Worf Effect: Agate often falls victim for this trope. In FC, he seems to win against Lorence... but then we find out that was a just a mirror body-double. Played straight in SC, in that he gets beaten easily by Loewe. Then again, in his defense Loewe and Lorence are the same person.
- World of Cardboard Speech: Joshua pulls one to Loewe in SC.
Joshua: This soul that has been saved by sister, mended by professor, released by father, and right now is together beside Estelle's...The heart of a Bracer and the skill of the Black Fang...Together with all of it, I challenge the Sword Emperor!! |
- And once again...
Loewe: Karin is an exception! That kind of human is not easy to be made! That's why--I have to test humans! Whether they can make up for sins named weakness and deceit! And whether they are truly worthy for Karin's sacrifice! |
- Wrench Wench: Tita, naturally, though with rather less emphasis on the "wench"
- Your Princess Is in Another Castle: One of the most epic and memorable in Japanese gaming history, at the end of FC. It seems like the plot is done, but aren't there a few things left over?... oh, by the way, Joshua: *fingersnap*. The fact that, back in 2004, Falcom gave no indication that the game had been split into two parts until after the credit roll, fueled the fire in Japan even harder.
- You Shall Not Pass
- You Should Know This Already: This is getting pretty bad in Japan, from the perspective of new fans in North America. The promotional material for the Trails Animated Adaptation shows Renne in a blatantly sinister pose with her scythe, and shows off Pater Mater, though not full-frame, and the announcement article for Ao no Kiseki spelled out "Olivier"'s proper name and title straight-out without any spoiler warning.
- ↑ Quoth XSEED localizer and resident Falcom fanboy Tom "Wyrdwad" Lipschultz on the Game FAQs board for the first game: "SC will definitely *not* be released this year [2011]. That's not even physically possible, given the amount of text it has and the amount of manpower and money WE have. (:"
- ↑ since there's no way in hell she weighs more than 90 pounds (in armor, mind you) while her weapons spew out easily 100+lb of recoil; never mind that a lot of her weapons would weigh almost as much as she does
- ↑ /Slaughter/Annihilation/etc