WOOOOOOOO!
Apr. 12th, 2011 01:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spottoI follow two Touhou comics that are pretty much just tournaments. One however, is more of a specialist tournament as the comic is mostly a wrestling parody, or rather a parody of a Japanese manga that is of the wrestling genre. This comic shows a lot of the characters training as well, and is a massive longrunner. The other one is a normal tag-team danmaku battle, but what makes it interesting is that the tag teams are completely random. The wrestling one is also a tag-team, but with obvious partners rather than a name being pulled out of a hat.
Though I followed the wrestling one for far longer, since it has over 600 (probably 700) 4koma strips by now, I largely found the danmaku one a bit more unpredictable and interesting. While one of my favourite fights ever was in the wrestling one, with Utsuho/Tenshi vs. Byakuren/Shou, there are a lot of plots in that one I don't specifically agree with. The thing is, the wrestling one deals with a lot of smaller issues and drama while the danmaku one seems to be purely tournament. There have been incidents in matches themselves but you never see a page that isn't a battle. So there are a lot of variables and differences between the two.
Perhaps it is an effect of the specific genre or just its sheer length, but the wrestling one had a few outcomes and fights I did not agree with. I mean they were enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but sometimes some fights ended in a rather unrealistic way while others were drawn on for way too long and so the pacing was clearly all messed up, plus a lot of the plots and motivation began feeling rather cliche. The Utsuho/Tenshi vs. Byakuren/Shou battle however was a reserve match, so people didn't really expect such a battle considering all the competitors weren't actually registered with the tournament during the start of the strip. My love of this match though has nothing to do with the fact that the seconds (other Chireiden and the Myouren Crew, respectively) make up 80% of my top ten, but because it did not have the cliches that riddled the other fights. There wasn't some moral or lesson a character had to learn before they could win, like teamwork or the value of friendship, or the existing issues between the combatants. The competitors in this match barely knew each other, and there was no cheating or any manipulation of the fight, just a clean good honourable battle that was paced well, wasn't too long, and was in the end, a great fight.
When I read this battle, I was actually rooting for Utsuho/Tenshi. First because this early on I didn't know much of UFO at all, and so I had no attachment and thus no bias towards those characters. I barely had bias for any character beyond EoSD and PCB at this point, so I barely knew who Tenshi and Utsuho were. But the way the two ended up pairing off and Okuu's utter cluelessness and naivety around Tenshi's somewhat tsundere tendencies were rather charming, and so I found the two very likable. The way they fought was interesting as well. In contrast, Byakuren and Shou know each other, however Shou was a last-minute addition because Unzan was originally Byakuren's partner, but he disintegrated inside the ring's barrier. I'm a little iff'ed that there was a preview/promo picture of Murasa wrestling with Byakuren (and they did narrow it down to both Shou and Murasa in the strips) but went with Shou. That's false advertisement!! Oh well, I can't think of how it would've gone better with Murasa anyway because Shou's tiger costume was pretty good, and her sense of honour made the match make a lot more sense. (But who knows what personality they would've given the Captain).
On the other hand, I really don't like how the comic handled Sanae, Suwako, Mokou, and Kaguya. I suppose if the more heroic and less manipulative team won all the time the results would be predictable, but it will always leave a nasty aftertaste when that happens. Kaguya and Eirin defeating Mokou and Keine wasn't really the problem so much, though I just complained about it. Their fight lasted FOR FUCKING EVER and Keine proooobably should've dropped dead from the amount of crap she was put through, but I suppose half-youkai are rather tough. The thing is, I don't WANT to see them anymore, so seeing Mokou replace Eirin and turn them into the Mokou Kaguya team...against a team that hasn't played a match yet makes me want their opponents, Komachi and Shikieiki to win. I don't want to see Mokou and Kaguya a third time! Sadly I'm fully expecting them to knock the death gods out simply because they can bullshit that way. At this very moment though, the way they're fighting is rather amusing but I still want Shikieki to win.
The other tournament comic is again more predictable, but the most hyped-up match that's currently going on now is the Mokou/Koishi vs. Ran/Utsuho match, which I was somewhat lost in figuring out who to root for but eventually decided for Mokou/Koishi. I'm again, fully expecting the outcome to be different from what I hope because I think Utsuho/Ran are a bit better than Mokou/Koishi. Also, again at this very moment, Mokou just exploded Ran's clothes and so it'll probably end up some Utsuho vs. Mokou fight where Utsuho must avenge Ran who seemingly disposed of Koishi already. I'm not entirely sure, but Ran actually surprised me in how efficient she was in the battle with her intelligence and her reflexes are godlike. How do you dodge a nuclear blast when the gun is five centimetres away from you!? And you're not expecting the shot because the weapon is attached to your partner!? HOW!?!?! So I hope I get to see more Koishi, but I still think this is all set up for Utsuho to win everything. The problem is if you've noticed the brackets chart, the team on the left has won EVERY MATCH and Utsuho/Ran are on the LEFT SIDE this time too! So it's not really that unpredictable if that keeps happening...
What I am even MORE bothered about though is that the latest cover for the current fight is actually of the fight AFTERWARDS, Yuyuko/Reimu vs. Nazrin/Shizuha, which I think is damn silly because everyone knows Yuyuko/Reimu will murder Nazrin/Shizuha, and EVERYONE was hyping up/looking forward to Utsuho/Ran vs. Mokou/Koishi, SO WHY AREN'T THEY ON THE COVER INSTEAD!? They would have such a badass cover too! It just doesn't make sense! The fight after this fight can have the cover AFTER! Every fight before has had their own cover, so why would you not have a cover for the most anticipated match of the first round!? WHYYYY
Also most UFO characters are actually reserves, and for some crazy reason only Nazrin of all people is actually officially participating. NAZRIN. The MOUSE. The mouse who is going up against a ghost that can instantly kill you and the MAIN CHARACTER WITH PLOT ARMOUR. OF ALL PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE! She even knows she isn't that strong, being smart enough to escape battles she cannot win! I don't get that at all!
Anyway if Shiki loses the round to Mokou/Kaguya like I expect, I hope Komachi wakes up and has ship-to-ship combat with Murasa. IT MUST HAPPEN. IF MOKOU vs. UTSUHO HAPPENS THEN KOMACHI vs. MURASA MUST ALSO HAPPEN!
Also no matter whoever wins the Mokou/Koishi vs. Ran/Utsuho fight...they will play Yuyuko/Reimu in the second round unless Nazrin is the miracle mouse of doom who has the powers of Sanae and Kaguya combined from the wrestling comic, and Shizuha can actually do something besides whine that she is unpopular. And well, it'll be exciting nonetheless, but everyone knows Yuyuko/Reimu will defeat them. It is the law of the main character. BUT WHO KNOWS!
So the ones I'm rooting for I'm expecting to lose. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE CHIREI DE GOT AN UPDATE! WOOOOOOOOO! And more artwork/comics/videos of my favourite characters being chew toys! WOOOOOOOOO!
That is all.
Though I followed the wrestling one for far longer, since it has over 600 (probably 700) 4koma strips by now, I largely found the danmaku one a bit more unpredictable and interesting. While one of my favourite fights ever was in the wrestling one, with Utsuho/Tenshi vs. Byakuren/Shou, there are a lot of plots in that one I don't specifically agree with. The thing is, the wrestling one deals with a lot of smaller issues and drama while the danmaku one seems to be purely tournament. There have been incidents in matches themselves but you never see a page that isn't a battle. So there are a lot of variables and differences between the two.
Perhaps it is an effect of the specific genre or just its sheer length, but the wrestling one had a few outcomes and fights I did not agree with. I mean they were enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but sometimes some fights ended in a rather unrealistic way while others were drawn on for way too long and so the pacing was clearly all messed up, plus a lot of the plots and motivation began feeling rather cliche. The Utsuho/Tenshi vs. Byakuren/Shou battle however was a reserve match, so people didn't really expect such a battle considering all the competitors weren't actually registered with the tournament during the start of the strip. My love of this match though has nothing to do with the fact that the seconds (other Chireiden and the Myouren Crew, respectively) make up 80% of my top ten, but because it did not have the cliches that riddled the other fights. There wasn't some moral or lesson a character had to learn before they could win, like teamwork or the value of friendship, or the existing issues between the combatants. The competitors in this match barely knew each other, and there was no cheating or any manipulation of the fight, just a clean good honourable battle that was paced well, wasn't too long, and was in the end, a great fight.
When I read this battle, I was actually rooting for Utsuho/Tenshi. First because this early on I didn't know much of UFO at all, and so I had no attachment and thus no bias towards those characters. I barely had bias for any character beyond EoSD and PCB at this point, so I barely knew who Tenshi and Utsuho were. But the way the two ended up pairing off and Okuu's utter cluelessness and naivety around Tenshi's somewhat tsundere tendencies were rather charming, and so I found the two very likable. The way they fought was interesting as well. In contrast, Byakuren and Shou know each other, however Shou was a last-minute addition because Unzan was originally Byakuren's partner, but he disintegrated inside the ring's barrier. I'm a little iff'ed that there was a preview/promo picture of Murasa wrestling with Byakuren (and they did narrow it down to both Shou and Murasa in the strips) but went with Shou. That's false advertisement!! Oh well, I can't think of how it would've gone better with Murasa anyway because Shou's tiger costume was pretty good, and her sense of honour made the match make a lot more sense. (But who knows what personality they would've given the Captain).
On the other hand, I really don't like how the comic handled Sanae, Suwako, Mokou, and Kaguya. I suppose if the more heroic and less manipulative team won all the time the results would be predictable, but it will always leave a nasty aftertaste when that happens. Kaguya and Eirin defeating Mokou and Keine wasn't really the problem so much, though I just complained about it. Their fight lasted FOR FUCKING EVER and Keine proooobably should've dropped dead from the amount of crap she was put through, but I suppose half-youkai are rather tough. The thing is, I don't WANT to see them anymore, so seeing Mokou replace Eirin and turn them into the Mokou Kaguya team...against a team that hasn't played a match yet makes me want their opponents, Komachi and Shikieiki to win. I don't want to see Mokou and Kaguya a third time! Sadly I'm fully expecting them to knock the death gods out simply because they can bullshit that way. At this very moment though, the way they're fighting is rather amusing but I still want Shikieki to win.
The other tournament comic is again more predictable, but the most hyped-up match that's currently going on now is the Mokou/Koishi vs. Ran/Utsuho match, which I was somewhat lost in figuring out who to root for but eventually decided for Mokou/Koishi. I'm again, fully expecting the outcome to be different from what I hope because I think Utsuho/Ran are a bit better than Mokou/Koishi. Also, again at this very moment, Mokou just exploded Ran's clothes and so it'll probably end up some Utsuho vs. Mokou fight where Utsuho must avenge Ran who seemingly disposed of Koishi already. I'm not entirely sure, but Ran actually surprised me in how efficient she was in the battle with her intelligence and her reflexes are godlike. How do you dodge a nuclear blast when the gun is five centimetres away from you!? And you're not expecting the shot because the weapon is attached to your partner!? HOW!?!?! So I hope I get to see more Koishi, but I still think this is all set up for Utsuho to win everything. The problem is if you've noticed the brackets chart, the team on the left has won EVERY MATCH and Utsuho/Ran are on the LEFT SIDE this time too! So it's not really that unpredictable if that keeps happening...
What I am even MORE bothered about though is that the latest cover for the current fight is actually of the fight AFTERWARDS, Yuyuko/Reimu vs. Nazrin/Shizuha, which I think is damn silly because everyone knows Yuyuko/Reimu will murder Nazrin/Shizuha, and EVERYONE was hyping up/looking forward to Utsuho/Ran vs. Mokou/Koishi, SO WHY AREN'T THEY ON THE COVER INSTEAD!? They would have such a badass cover too! It just doesn't make sense! The fight after this fight can have the cover AFTER! Every fight before has had their own cover, so why would you not have a cover for the most anticipated match of the first round!? WHYYYY
Also most UFO characters are actually reserves, and for some crazy reason only Nazrin of all people is actually officially participating. NAZRIN. The MOUSE. The mouse who is going up against a ghost that can instantly kill you and the MAIN CHARACTER WITH PLOT ARMOUR. OF ALL PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE! She even knows she isn't that strong, being smart enough to escape battles she cannot win! I don't get that at all!
Anyway if Shiki loses the round to Mokou/Kaguya like I expect, I hope Komachi wakes up and has ship-to-ship combat with Murasa. IT MUST HAPPEN. IF MOKOU vs. UTSUHO HAPPENS THEN KOMACHI vs. MURASA MUST ALSO HAPPEN!
Also no matter whoever wins the Mokou/Koishi vs. Ran/Utsuho fight...they will play Yuyuko/Reimu in the second round unless Nazrin is the miracle mouse of doom who has the powers of Sanae and Kaguya combined from the wrestling comic, and Shizuha can actually do something besides whine that she is unpopular. And well, it'll be exciting nonetheless, but everyone knows Yuyuko/Reimu will defeat them. It is the law of the main character. BUT WHO KNOWS!
So the ones I'm rooting for I'm expecting to lose. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE CHIREI DE GOT AN UPDATE! WOOOOOOOOO! And more artwork/comics/videos of my favourite characters being chew toys! WOOOOOOOOO!
That is all.
