raisedbymoogles (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
raisedbymoogles) wrote2023-05-24 02:33 pm
raisedbymoogles) wrote2023-05-24 02:33 pm
Entry tags:
More TotK yelling >_>
and get your pearls ready for clutching 'cause I have some MILD CRITICISMS
- Okay so I haven't done the Mattison sidequest yet, so for all I know I'm jumping to conclusions and it's all going to Work Out Fine in the end, BUT. It kinda seems like Nintendo doubled down on all the ways in which an all-cis-female society is kind of horrifying*. Like they didn't want the kid to just be a half-Gerudo, or split her time between Mom's family and Dad's town, or have Hudson live at Kara Kara Bazaar idek, they HAD to go the 'yeah it's The Law that Gerudo children aren't allowed to have any contact with men so we're going to lock her in a convent until she's 21'?? Like... did Hudson know about this before he and Rhondson had a kid? Was it sprung on him after the fact? WHO WOULD AGREE TO HAVE A KID WITH A GERUDO IF YOU'RE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO RAISE HER?
Nope, fuck it, I'm headcanoning that Mattison is just going off to Gerudo boarding school and she'll be spending her holidays in Tarrey Town and Hudson gets to come visit her whenever he wants.
(*I'm also aware that there is Racist Nonsense surrounding the Gerudo's whole deal, but I don't feel equipped to address that whole mess. Just, ugh. I'd been investing so much brain sweat in trying to make the Gerudo work in my head for a fic I may never write and now I feel gross just for making the attempt.)
- Speaking of headcanons, I'm headcanoning that at some point between BotW and TotK Link and Sidon had A Serious Talk and agreed to Just Be Friends. Sidon's a prince, he's always known he'd have to marry for dynastic concerns, and Link is a Free Spirit, Man, Can't Tie Him Down. They still love each other but they decided to bail out before they set the world on fire again. (Which honestly just brings up even more questions about Mipha. Was she going to argue that since Link's species is so short-lived, there was plenty of time for her to have Link as prince-consort for the rest of his natural life and still find a Zora husband later for the makin' of babies? Or was this going to be a 'screw you I do what I want :)' situation?)
....either way that's how I'm making myself be Okay with the whole Yona situation. It's not cheating, it's just that awkward moment where the guy you used to date has a new girlfriend and you're happy he's happy but you're also kinda low key scrutinizing the newcomer to make sure she's Good Enough For Your Boy.
- Overall it seems like as much as Nintendo listened and took on board the criticisms of the gameplay, they ALSO took note of all the queer headcanons surrounding the Gerudo and Sidon/Link and were like 'nooooope gotta nip THAT in the bud.' Which. Sucks, honestly. :/
- On a lighter note, I do like how much we get to see of Zelda when we run across people she's helped out in the world. She's established a school in Hateno, and she's involved with it enough that there are small-child drawings of her all over the place which is adorbs. There's the Scary Flower Lady at Floret Sandbar who Zelda was apparently helping her make a garden (which is honestly heartwarming b/c you can bet she was never allowed to Play In The Dirt as a kid so she probably had NO idea what she was doing with those farm tools at first), there's the travelers she taught to cook... and of course the new Sheikah tech and the new monster-patrol guys probably got a lot of support from her too. I was talking with my partner about this and confessing that I had mixed feelings about it all, b/c on the one hand it's all Girl Stuff For Girls and I hate the reminder that Zelda's first and only job is to be The Girl, but on the other hand it's kind of telling that all that Girl Stuff is how civilization gets built/rebuilt. Partner pointed out that all of this stuff has precedent in being things Zelda has always been into or at least interested in, so it's maybe less of a stereotype than it looks when you see it from that angle.
- Without Stasis I am probably going to never, ever defeat a Lynel in this game. I tried it on the first Lynel I came across and I don't think I ever even landed a hit on him, not that I had much chance before he murdered me. XDDDD
- Evermeans continue to be terrifying. Especially when they are all Gloom-y down in the Depths. I swear I had four of the damn things chasing me at one point. There was screaming.
- Stripping Link naked and making him fight with a stick continues to be a terrible idea.
- Okay so I haven't done the Mattison sidequest yet, so for all I know I'm jumping to conclusions and it's all going to Work Out Fine in the end, BUT. It kinda seems like Nintendo doubled down on all the ways in which an all-cis-female society is kind of horrifying*. Like they didn't want the kid to just be a half-Gerudo, or split her time between Mom's family and Dad's town, or have Hudson live at Kara Kara Bazaar idek, they HAD to go the 'yeah it's The Law that Gerudo children aren't allowed to have any contact with men so we're going to lock her in a convent until she's 21'?? Like... did Hudson know about this before he and Rhondson had a kid? Was it sprung on him after the fact? WHO WOULD AGREE TO HAVE A KID WITH A GERUDO IF YOU'RE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO RAISE HER?
Nope, fuck it, I'm headcanoning that Mattison is just going off to Gerudo boarding school and she'll be spending her holidays in Tarrey Town and Hudson gets to come visit her whenever he wants.
(*I'm also aware that there is Racist Nonsense surrounding the Gerudo's whole deal, but I don't feel equipped to address that whole mess. Just, ugh. I'd been investing so much brain sweat in trying to make the Gerudo work in my head for a fic I may never write and now I feel gross just for making the attempt.)
- Speaking of headcanons, I'm headcanoning that at some point between BotW and TotK Link and Sidon had A Serious Talk and agreed to Just Be Friends. Sidon's a prince, he's always known he'd have to marry for dynastic concerns, and Link is a Free Spirit, Man, Can't Tie Him Down. They still love each other but they decided to bail out before they set the world on fire again. (Which honestly just brings up even more questions about Mipha. Was she going to argue that since Link's species is so short-lived, there was plenty of time for her to have Link as prince-consort for the rest of his natural life and still find a Zora husband later for the makin' of babies? Or was this going to be a 'screw you I do what I want :)' situation?)
....either way that's how I'm making myself be Okay with the whole Yona situation. It's not cheating, it's just that awkward moment where the guy you used to date has a new girlfriend and you're happy he's happy but you're also kinda low key scrutinizing the newcomer to make sure she's Good Enough For Your Boy.
- Overall it seems like as much as Nintendo listened and took on board the criticisms of the gameplay, they ALSO took note of all the queer headcanons surrounding the Gerudo and Sidon/Link and were like 'nooooope gotta nip THAT in the bud.' Which. Sucks, honestly. :/
- On a lighter note, I do like how much we get to see of Zelda when we run across people she's helped out in the world. She's established a school in Hateno, and she's involved with it enough that there are small-child drawings of her all over the place which is adorbs. There's the Scary Flower Lady at Floret Sandbar who Zelda was apparently helping her make a garden (which is honestly heartwarming b/c you can bet she was never allowed to Play In The Dirt as a kid so she probably had NO idea what she was doing with those farm tools at first), there's the travelers she taught to cook... and of course the new Sheikah tech and the new monster-patrol guys probably got a lot of support from her too. I was talking with my partner about this and confessing that I had mixed feelings about it all, b/c on the one hand it's all Girl Stuff For Girls and I hate the reminder that Zelda's first and only job is to be The Girl, but on the other hand it's kind of telling that all that Girl Stuff is how civilization gets built/rebuilt. Partner pointed out that all of this stuff has precedent in being things Zelda has always been into or at least interested in, so it's maybe less of a stereotype than it looks when you see it from that angle.
- Without Stasis I am probably going to never, ever defeat a Lynel in this game. I tried it on the first Lynel I came across and I don't think I ever even landed a hit on him, not that I had much chance before he murdered me. XDDDD
- Evermeans continue to be terrifying. Especially when they are all Gloom-y down in the Depths. I swear I had four of the damn things chasing me at one point. There was screaming.
- Stripping Link naked and making him fight with a stick continues to be a terrible idea.
no subject
We haven't gone over to Gerudo Town or Zora's Domain yet. I don't hang out in much of the fandom, so I have missed any of the racist nonsense you reference, for which I'm pretty grateful: Urbosa was my favorite Champion and I would be Very Upset. I liked Revali once the Champions' Ballad was completed, but Urbosa my queeeeeeen -- I loved everything about her relationship with Zelda except that she never yelled at Rhoam.
I think my favorite thing about TotK so far is how much more optimistic all the NPCs are. Instead of cowering about The Upheaval, which is terrifying and awful, they're like 'we're gonna study it! we're gonna work together!' and it's just so much more _warm_ than BotW. I loved seeing Zelda's shadow all over Hyrule, with that hope and optimism and community-building.
My current favorite pastime is to idly mention to my partner 'wow, Stasis would be really useful right now' or 'gee, Revali's Gale would sure help you get up there' and they mutter and sulk and it's hilarious.
I told Partner about Gloom Evermeans and they shuddered full-body, so thank you for that warning!
no subject
(Urbosa is my favorite too and I fully believe that Urbosa's ghost kicked Rhoam's ghost's ass the instant Ganon was dead. Also, Mipha is not forgotten, can confirm!)
I think my favorite thing about TotK so far is how much more optimistic all the NPCs are. <- yes this!!!!! It's like Zelda's "I don't NEED a special power, I will help in any way I can" ethos has become the defining ethos of Hyrule and that's what's giving people courage to stand against The Darkness. Which kinda hits me where I live tbh. X3
no subject
(Anonymous) 2023-05-26 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
(FWIW I also think that 'refusing to consume any media that is not Pure and Good and Free from Racism' is the wrong way to approach these things. It's just a matter of your comfort level. >_>)
no subject
(Anonymous) 2023-05-26 06:54 pm (UTC)(link)