Topic: Something occured to me about Soma and Jonathan

[NeoLiza]

Considering that both DoS and PoR are more animeish than previous CV's (That includes RoB) I had been thinking about how similar both games were. But I got fixated on Soma and Jonathan. Considering that these games are using standard fare anime cliches, if there was another crossover game (like a sequel to HDespair or a Judgment 2), do you think these 2 could be pitted against each other as rivals?

I mean, the set up for a rivalry of some sort is already there. We have the calm and collected guy with a "dark secret" and happens to Japanese, and then we have the brash and cocky guy who happens to be American. In the tradition of Anime, manga, and video games, many rivals always featured these 2 stock cliches (Street Fighter being a primary example). Not to mention how easy it would be for those 2 to come into conflict. Soma, being the reincarnation of Dracula, would be hunted down by Jonathan and Charolette for that reason alone. Or something.

What do you think?

[Chernabogue]

Actually, Soma is not Japanese, but studies in Japan, I think.

And no, please, no more cross overs or battle games.

[uzo]

Actually, Soma is not Japanese, but studies in Japan, I think.

And no, please, no more cross overs or battle games.

Not in the Japanese version.

[NeoLiza]

That's right. The Japanese version does list him as being Japanese. I guess the localizers didn't want Hammer to represent them exclusively. 

I don't think crossovers are a bad idea. I think the problem is Castlevania has a severe lack of iconic characters aside from Simon, Alucard, and Dracula. Most people wouldn't recognize the other characters much aside from maybe the Sorrows characters.

[Phoenix7786]

That's right. The Japanese version does list him as being Japanese. I guess the localizers didn't want Hammer to represent them exclusively. 

I don't think crossovers are a bad idea. I think the problem is Castlevania has a severe lack of iconic characters aside from Simon, Alucard, and Dracula. Most people wouldn't recognize the other characters much aside from maybe the Sorrows characters.

Case in point I showed my best friend Serio's Castlevania fighter and his question to virtually the entire cast was "Who the f*** is this?" and "Who the f*** is that?".

[derision]

So you want to pit two completely unrelated characters against each other, in what is guaranteed to be a completely nonsensical scenario, on the grounds that they exhibit "anime cliches"?

Sounds like crappy fanfiction. No thanks.

[Flame]

I always thought Soma being an exchange student simply worked much better. He could be a romanian exchange student, or from somewhere in Europe. Of course, that would fly right in the face (and DOES already mind you-) of Mina being his childhood friend.

AoS' background elements, things like OH ALL JAPANESE NOW being changed around a bit, would very much improve the story. I can swallow Dracula reincarnating as some European kid, possibly even Romanian, if you wanna go for truly local- and the Castle being sealed in the eclipse. But the inclusion of the Shinto priest and the reincarnation just so happening to be Japanese, just comes right the fuck outta nowhere when it's been a pretty consistently European based fight. But suddenly they brought a Shinto priest out to seal the castle? Pretty sure they can explain that any other way.

EDIT: I think I went off on a tangent there.

[Gaawa-chan]

I always thought Soma being an exchange student simply worked much better........ But suddenly they brought a Shinto priest out to seal the castle? Pretty sure they can explain that any other way.

I agree.  I've never really liked that Japanese developers often shoe-horn... well... Japan... into series where Japan doesn't really fit.  Especially when both AoS and DoS take place almost entirely inside castles anyway, so there really was no reason to do all that.

I guess you could pretend that Soma was adopted or something. XD

[darkwzrd4]

I agree.  I've never really liked that Japanese developers often shoe-horn... well... Japan... into series where Japan doesn't really fit.  Especially when both AoS and DoS take place almost entirely inside castles anyway, so there really was no reason to do all that.

I guess you could pretend that Soma was adopted or something. XD

I didn't really care for it either.  Well, it's Iga's doing anyway and he sucks when it comes to story.  He even admits that he comes up with gameplay first and then develops the story (which in my opinion is completely backwards). 

 

[Johnny Alucard]

I think Castlevania should steer far, far, far away from the anime cliches.

[Phoenix7786]

I think Castlevania should steer far, far, far away from the anime cliches.

You and me both, brother (or sister). While some Castlevania titles have copied other formats, it still managed to set some trends. Look at how far ahead of its time Simon's Quest was, and how influential Symphony of the Night was to the rest of the series (although of course there's always been other 2-D RPG side-scrolling platforming action games).

Besides, thanks to the awesomeness of the Castlevania series, it's extremely plausible to power-walk through an entire country-side and into a castle, whipping every single fucking things that DARES to oppose you to oblivion and relying on pork-chops you conveniently fined stashed safely (and edibly) inside random walls for sustenance

"Hmm, I just got skewered by a spear, gashed by a thrown axe, and singed with fire. I don't think I'm--ZOMG another pork-chop! Sweet I'm in the clear!"

[X]

I think Castlevania should steer far, far, far away from the anime cliches.

Yeah, me too. While I don't really see anime art as a serious problem for the series, the Anime cliches do bring it down quite substantially. The original art for JP version of Simon's Quest was anime however there were no anime cliches to groan about.