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scattershot observations & thoughts i've had regarding PSO2. Some of this is 'hey here's a neat thing i noticed!' and some of it is "stuff that is not explained or left vague in canon so time to GO WILD with speculation' and some of it is just unquenchable thirst lmao
★ JP Varuna calls the player character "Guardian-dono" during Episode 5 and i think he's the only one to refer to them in such a manner. going from memory, Hariette calls the PC "Guardian" (no honorific, iirc, but she's both a queen and close to you so understandable) Elmir calls them "Senpai" and I don't remember what Luther and Margareta call them...i'll have to look it up later.
I'm not well-versed in Japanese but iirc -dono is an archaic term of great respect, and also one mostly used between those of equal standing, which suggests that Varuna sees himself and the PC as about equal. Which can be read as a compliment--considering Varuna himself is of quite high-standing--or trying to put himself on the same level as the Guardian, who is seen as a mythical savior...lmao.
★ The Cosmogenic arms are supposed to have severe negative effects, but the only effects revealed in canon are for:
- Mai the Unseen: Grants invisibility, but causes the user to gradually fade in other's memories
- Labyrs the Umbral: The strength of the blow is also visited upon the wielder
- Yonohate: Potentially planet-destroying power, but causes physical strain (?)
- Clarissa the White: Purifies corrupt photons, but the corruption is absorbed by the user instead
This would suggest that the negative effects of the other Arms are related to the unique abilities they grant, although...the special abilities of many of the Arms are not revealed either. ~_~
Florenberg the Luminous is unique in that its power is known (moves matter over short distances) but its drawback is not mentioned, and "negative effects of moving matter over short distances" is kind of hard to conceptualize, especially in a canon where teleportation over large distances is common.
I keep coming back to the idea of erosion of either mind or body--something like a bit of the user is worn away when transporting objects, which is a relatively common sci-fi trope, but given that it's not the user being transported, it doesn't feel quite right in my head. Hmmmm.
★ Varuna has 25cm/10 inch heels with his Ep. 6 outfit AND! while it's hard to see in the concept art, his hips are wider than his shoulders AND!!! he has THIGH GAP hnnngggh
anyway this combination of physical characteristics on a lil' blond elfin boy is FUCKIN LETHAL to my heart but ON TOP OF THAT, his opening battle quote is "I come in the name of my master" and just. i can't take this pretty space twink strutting around the battlefield in his 10 inch heels and talking non-stop about fulfilling his master's wishes. "God of Justice" more like "God of Submissives" amiRITE
★ On the subject of things Varuna doesn't stop saying, his EN voice line "swing and a miss" that everyone on the global server memes on? it's just a grunt in the JP version. it literally needed no translation which makes it even more meme-worthy tbh
★ The global translation of Varuna's Ep. 6 title is "God of Justice" but the fanslation and soundtrack titles translate it as "God of Fidelity/Devotion." I prefer "devotion" myself; devoted is a much better description of Varuna than "just" (he even admits he does not understand who is right or wrong in Ep. 6's central conflict), and when it comes to the titles of the other Photoner gods they don't have something as...grand as justice? I mean, things like Unseen, Umbral, Luminous, Bright, Vigilant...all of these are characteristics, not moral domains. "Varuna, the Devoted" just seems to fit better within this scheme than "Varuna, the Just" ...although now that I type it out, both sound fine. lol
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i was planning on writing more, but it's late and i have work tomorrow sooooo i'll leave on that note. will probably keep adding bits over the next day or so.
★ JP Varuna calls the player character "Guardian-dono" during Episode 5 and i think he's the only one to refer to them in such a manner. going from memory, Hariette calls the PC "Guardian" (no honorific, iirc, but she's both a queen and close to you so understandable) Elmir calls them "Senpai" and I don't remember what Luther and Margareta call them...i'll have to look it up later.
I'm not well-versed in Japanese but iirc -dono is an archaic term of great respect, and also one mostly used between those of equal standing, which suggests that Varuna sees himself and the PC as about equal. Which can be read as a compliment--considering Varuna himself is of quite high-standing--or trying to put himself on the same level as the Guardian, who is seen as a mythical savior...lmao.
★ The Cosmogenic arms are supposed to have severe negative effects, but the only effects revealed in canon are for:
- Mai the Unseen: Grants invisibility, but causes the user to gradually fade in other's memories
- Labyrs the Umbral: The strength of the blow is also visited upon the wielder
- Yonohate: Potentially planet-destroying power, but causes physical strain (?)
- Clarissa the White: Purifies corrupt photons, but the corruption is absorbed by the user instead
This would suggest that the negative effects of the other Arms are related to the unique abilities they grant, although...the special abilities of many of the Arms are not revealed either. ~_~
Florenberg the Luminous is unique in that its power is known (moves matter over short distances) but its drawback is not mentioned, and "negative effects of moving matter over short distances" is kind of hard to conceptualize, especially in a canon where teleportation over large distances is common.
I keep coming back to the idea of erosion of either mind or body--something like a bit of the user is worn away when transporting objects, which is a relatively common sci-fi trope, but given that it's not the user being transported, it doesn't feel quite right in my head. Hmmmm.
★ Varuna has 25cm/10 inch heels with his Ep. 6 outfit AND! while it's hard to see in the concept art, his hips are wider than his shoulders AND!!! he has THIGH GAP hnnngggh
anyway this combination of physical characteristics on a lil' blond elfin boy is FUCKIN LETHAL to my heart but ON TOP OF THAT, his opening battle quote is "I come in the name of my master" and just. i can't take this pretty space twink strutting around the battlefield in his 10 inch heels and talking non-stop about fulfilling his master's wishes. "God of Justice" more like "God of Submissives" amiRITE
★ On the subject of things Varuna doesn't stop saying, his EN voice line "swing and a miss" that everyone on the global server memes on? it's just a grunt in the JP version. it literally needed no translation which makes it even more meme-worthy tbh
★ The global translation of Varuna's Ep. 6 title is "God of Justice" but the fanslation and soundtrack titles translate it as "God of Fidelity/Devotion." I prefer "devotion" myself; devoted is a much better description of Varuna than "just" (he even admits he does not understand who is right or wrong in Ep. 6's central conflict), and when it comes to the titles of the other Photoner gods they don't have something as...grand as justice? I mean, things like Unseen, Umbral, Luminous, Bright, Vigilant...all of these are characteristics, not moral domains. "Varuna, the Devoted" just seems to fit better within this scheme than "Varuna, the Just" ...although now that I type it out, both sound fine. lol
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i was planning on writing more, but it's late and i have work tomorrow sooooo i'll leave on that note. will probably keep adding bits over the next day or so.
