Elstreem's side blog for all Legend of Mana and Egglia stuff!

Basically, this where I'll put all my love for one of my most favorite games ever, Legend of Mana! As well as Egglia, since it was made by Shinichi Kameoka. Main blog is elstreem!

[lomappreciationblog]

Been inactive on this blog again,,,,I'm deep in a project right now, so I'm afraid I can't do the daily posts leading up to Legend of Mana's anniversary this year,,,I'll try to make up for it once I finish my current project But! Since this year marks the 35th year since the release of Seiken Densetsu/Final Fantasy Adventure (released June 28, 1991 in Japan), this year also marks the 35th anniversary of the Mana Series as a whole, so happy 35 years to the Mana series! Admittedly, I only really played Legend of Mana and Children of Mana (I haven't finished Sword of Mana, but I hope to one day, I do love it, but I lost my progress when my older phone conked out ;_;) But I still have a soft spot for the series as a whole, and hopefully I'll get around to playing Secret and Trials sometime!

Square Enix released a celebration video for the occasion:

And on my Twitter, I've been seeing a lot of amazing fanart relating to the Mana Series in celebration!

Starting with my most favorite fan artist, who made this amazing illustration featuring all of LOM's characters:

Do take a closer look, it's a real gem to pore over!

There's so much good art on my feed, ahhh, I'm in love.

This one I'm fond of because most fanart is usually on the Jumi arc, it's so nice to get love for the Dragon Arc:

I love, love, LOVE seeing Legend of Mana fanart, and it's an absolute joy to share them over here!

Something about this series and the fanart in response is just so full of the joy of human creativity and it's inspiring every time.

[lomappreciationblog]

I'm not sure I ever consciously realized this until I was revisiting my second LOM HD file, but the workshops at Home actually change appearance as you unlock more and more of the facilities:

Initially, the outside of the workshops has a rock outcropping and some decayed trees, while the inside has the eventual entrances to the workshops blocked off. It would appear that what will eventually become the Smithy is being used a storage, with barrels in it, while the musical instruments and golem workshop were most likely dug out and furnished by the Geo student and Professor Bomb (wow, what incredibly generous people in retrospect pfft)

Eventually, the topside of the workshops will look like proper buildings, replacing the rock outcropping and trees!

The outsides of the individual workshop rooms also feel in theme with what they're for, with the Smithy having an anvil on top, the musical instruments one has what looks like music symbols on it (...maybe? I will admit I know next to nothing about musical notation LOL) and the golem workshop has these spiky lightning-rod looking things that brings to mind the creation of Frankenstein's monster, and golem-making is about artificial life-forms!

As for the inside hub, the well will remain, but thanks to very generous NPCs we get these nice stairs as well. The music instrument workshop room is pretty detailed actually, the stair railing at one end reminds me of a musical instrument, and the door itself has notes on it.

[lomappreciationblog]

The Flame of Hope with Elazul (Part 4) (we're trauma buddies)

Last I left off this series, Inspector Boyd is accusing the "possibly fifteen year old playable character oh my god who lets them be a crime witness" of being the one to kill Rubens, but depending on how this quest is done, either Rubens will state our innocence or Elazul does if he is along with.

So for the final side by side comparison of doing this quest the vanilla way versus having Elazul on board, here's my clips of Rubens's death scene:

Either way...Rubens's final thoughts? Calling out to, and apologizing to Diana.

This poor man is the chewtoy of the universe...

Thinking about it some more, Rubens has to have been actively trying NOT to die all the time after his core had been taken, and Sandra does commend him for still being present even after she had taken his core -

Rubens hung in there long enough to state the playable character's innocence, or in the case of Elazul being there - to actively try and pass along a message to his Diana.

I say this since in the vanilla version, I think Rubens was just wistfully calling out to Diana, since he could never expect that the character there with him in his final moments will have further interactions with the Jumi -

But if Elazul IS present - Rubens entrusts his final message to him...

Tragically, in this latter case, Rubens does not complete Diana's name, but he does go on to say a little more - The statement is broken, but he seems to hope that he and Diana will reunite in the Bejeweled City once more.

The irony in Sandra tearing away the core of the Flame of Hope, only for Rubens to seemingly rekindle hope and trust once more just before he passes, either by clearing our name, or to trust in Elazul -

Because if one talks to him in the Underworld, Rubens seems to be all fired up and quite passionate about the Jumi's continuation:

The Jumi all make me so emotional - just the whole idea of finding one's hope and entrusting that hope to others, believing in a better tomorrow...

It's a little unfortunate quite a bit of Rubens's characterization is hidden, since the option to bring Elazul isn't very obvious, and it's also unlikely for all players to realize that the Jumi who die throughout the arc actually appear in the Underworld., but there is a lot to show he's much more than just the first victim who raises the takes of the story.

The manga did him even worse because it already shows him murdered - but while the anime still follows the events of the story (meaning Rubens still dies early), it does give him a lil bit of screen time. I'm still miffed he gets to have a cool fight sequence in the anime's intro but you never see it in the show proper. You CAN see a lil bit of his abilities as a knight, being able to use fire magic and wielding a sword in another episode in the anime, which is. Something for the Rubens fans.

The anime does give his and Diana's relationship more material, with the art in the ending credits showing the two sharing a tender moment and holding hands.

In any case, while my man dies a very unfortunate death, the quest isn't over, and our very nosey main character gets to be nosey a lil longer:

Elazul also adds to the scene after this by telling Inspector Boyd he's going to help, and off you go!...to track down a murderer, who lets a fifteen year old and his ambiguously aged but still young relatively companion do this

Protip kids, if a suspicious person calls to you at the end of a dead-end pathway suspended miles above the ground and tells you they can "Relieve you of the pain you feel,"

Do NOT under any circumstance go closer.

As infuriating as it is to see Sandra constantly belittle Elazul, there is something amusing about her reaction to our appearance being a workplace annoyance

You gotta commend the drama it takes to pull off murdering a man and taunting him as he dies, escaping, making your final escape by hitching a ride on a large bird, and going "Ta-ta, everyone!" as your final words.

Still, to remind you that Sandra's jewel thief exploits are still horrific crimes at the end of the day -

Poor Elazul does not even have any words left to say at the conclusion of the quest, only able to gaze into the far distance. So much hope in one day, only to be crushed brutally twice over.

Since I am playing this on a second file I need to talk to Li'l Cactus for his diary entry, which is always a bit awkward for your companion since the game bars them from entering your house.

How to tell your bro good-bye after you just experienced the trauma of having someone rip a man's heart out in front of you,,,

[lomappreciationblog]

Flame of Hope with Elazul (Part 3)

I couldn't include this in the last post since I reached the image limit, but if you talk to disguised Sandra after Elazul and Rubens's heart-to-heart, she also tries to test Elazul, but he's just understandably confused. But if you've played through the entire Jumi arc, it's no surprise Sandra keeps an eye on Elazul as well, waiting to see what he can, or can't do for Pearl's sake.

The next interaction is unfortunately when Rubens is killed, and it's never an easy scene to witness, and like I said in the first post, it's honestly way worse if you have Elazul along.

Unfortunately I can only add one clip per post...and the screenshots don't show the full reaction Elazul has to what happens, so I uploaded the clips onto my drive for viewing. I kinda hate that I can't show multiple clips as is and considered just making several posts so I don't have to link it like this, but that would be cutting each post prematurely, so compromises it is.

I tried screenshotting Elazul shouting when Rubens is attacked, but the dialogue boxes flash by so quickly I wasn't able to. The fact that Elazul is the first to react when Sandra lunges in for the kill...and the fact that he runs to Rubens's side after he collapses -

I can only imagine from Elazul's perspective how horrible it was to be so close yet so far.

Regardless of whether you have Elazul along or not - without our input, the player character will ALWAYS run to intervene, and is only stopped because Sandra obviously has the upper hand.

I know some people give the setup of this scene some flak for the player characters being unable to do more, but honestly, how would anyone react when Sandra threatens to kill Rubens on the spot? The anime does justify this a bit more, with Shiloh being unable to help further because Sandra also attacks him.

In any case, poor Elazul can only curse Sandra out, and she rubs it in his face how helpless he is with her choice of words.

I do find it interesting that when Sandra states her demands, Elazul yells for her to stop, but he also backs up a step - I wonder why that is. I'm not sure if he was so shocked by what she asked that he couldn't help but stagger back or something like that.

I do get the impression that Elazul immediately knew that crying wasn't an option and that's what made him tell Sandra to stop immediately...ugh my heart.

In any case, seeing that Rubens won't cry, Sandra swoops to claim her prize. The anime wasn't too graphic on it from what I remember, and the manga kinda has Flame of Hope happen offscreen in a sense there's only a page showing Rubens had been killed, but the illustration still implies it was a bloody, brutal business that basically involves ripping a man's heart out, so...a lot to take in for Elazul, sure, but also for the protagonist.

Did I mention the anime specifically states Shiloh is fifteen years old? Yeah, this teen is NOT getting a good night's sleep.

Sandra is definitely a character with a backstory that gives her sympathetic qualities, but...this remark is so needlessly callous and cruel, and if you remember that Elazul was protesting to Rubens who else could he trust other than another Jumi, he mentions that "Everyone thinks of us as walking jewelry!" and Sandra was in earshot for that...

She's definitely striking him where it hurts. It's sickening to think that it's not just a taunt either, Sandra has genuinely come to believe the Jumi are all worthless for losing their ability to cry. And in a weird twist, if anything it's the Lord of Jewels who sees the value in Jumi when Sandra has given up on them, though on his end it's less seeing Jumi as a people but seeing them as precious objects, as something beautiful, but not alive.

Sandra leaves after yet another jab at poor Elazul's helplessness, and the poor guy can only curse again - until Inspector Boyd comes on the scene and wrongly accuses our dear player character as the culprit, which does lead to the running gag of referring to the player character not by their gender, but by their headgear.

In a world where you have a tadpole living in a hybrid carriage/music player, living jigsaw puzzle piece men, and Boinks - apparently Shiloh/Serafina still stand out for their odd choice in head wear.

But, back to the tragedy at hand:

Without Elazul, Rubens musters up his last bits of strength to proclaim our innocence, which is already sweet and sad - I think Rubens got the impression we tried out best to help him and the only thing he can do to repay us in turn is to at least take suspicion off you.

But with Elazul present - he immediately takes the heat off you by explaining what happened. Elazul may have lost someone he could have called a friend, but he wouldn't lose you either as a a friend he is making....

[lomappreciationblog]

Flame of Hope with Elazul (Part 2)

Moving on with this series of posts -

Looking at how Elazul and Rubens starts this conversation, one can feel just how eager Elazul is to find other Jumi. Can you imagine the sheer relief of confirming for yourself that your kind isn't extinct?

Unfortunately, this isn't welcomed by Rubens, whose first response is to shush Elazul, and while paranoid, the paranoia is NOT unfounded, as we unfortunately find out...

I feel so much for Elazul reviewing this line of conversation. He really does not want to be alone again, and he's so hopeful to find other Jumi that the possibility of being rejected probably didn't even cross his mind...

Unfortunately, it is outright rejection he gets and an insult to boot.

I think Rubens did realize he was speaking harshly as a first reaction, though, because he does explain himself immediately afterwards. And that is a little note of heartwarming after he just called Elazul stupid - Rubens was a leader figure and used to looking after other, younger Jumi - one of the memories that plays out in the Bejeweled City is him encouraging Esmeralda, even. So I like to think that after he blurts out how he felt, he realized Elazul is a younger Jumi out of the loop and went on to lay out the facts.

At first this might seem like an overly dramatic way of reacting to the whole fiasco, but...

Considering all the facts, the betrayal was very personal to Rubens. Again, as Diana's Knight, he is one of the head figures of the Jumi and one of the very few who knew about the exact state of Florina's health, and their last desperate gamble to try and cure her, by having Blackpearl search for the Sword of Mana and the Mana Stone in hopes of a miracle.

So when Florina was kidnapped, that really narrows down the suspects to their small circle of Rubens, Diana, Alexandra, and Blackpearl. Diana knew that Sandra was the jewel thief, and it's really the only conclusion to be reached, so it's highly likely Rubens knew as well. So why wouldn't he name the traitor to Elazul? I can't say for sure, but I think a part of is personally feeling guilty for it. Rubens trusted Alexandra to be Florina's knight, and it ended up this way.

By itself, Alexandra's betrayal is already a knife to the chest - but I think there's another factor to consider as to why Rubens seems so bitter.

Going by what the anime showed and facts from the game, Rubens tried to look for Blackpearl to get her help in retrieving Florina, but it was likely by then Blackpearl already had her meeting with Sandra and was turned into Pearl. In the anime, Rubens returns to the Bejeweled City and finds Diana had already turned into stone, and it's obvious the poor man is crushed by grief. He and Diana are partners and lovers, but in that crucial moment, he wasn't there to stop Diana from her choice.

Or to think about it another way, he was also betrayed in the sense that Diana didn't seem to trust him enough to remain with him...a fact to consider here is, Diana was able to talk to us in The Lucky Clover and later gave us the keys to her heart. At any moment, she could have reversed the petrification, but she didn't for Rubens and he was left scrambling to find some way to undo it. It's horrible either way.

He still loves her, but all things said and done it's no wonder he just seems so tired and despairing.

All that drama said...there is something mildly amusing that Rubens names Dudbears specifically among what can't be trusted anymore. Though, to be fair, the Dudbears are being made to follow a cult in this game LOL

The tragedy of it all is Rubens cannot relay to Elazul what made him this way and so this chance meeting where Elazul and Rubens could have found companions to rely on, ends in a regretful parting instead.

But again, Rubens still does have the quality of a concerned older figure, so his parting words are of caution. It's just really too bad this quest ends the way it did...

In turn, we get a heartwarming moment from Elazul because he turns to us and confides in us. After what Rubens just said about not trusting anyone - Elazul chooses to NOT do that.

It is sad that Elazul is keeping a secret from Pearl by doing this, but all things considered it probably was the right call, for the moment anyway. Elazul doesn't even know at this point that Pearl is actually scared he will find another Jumi, or specifically a new guardian, but meeting Rubens is probably a downer for Pearl in any case. I am curious if Rubens might have been able to see Blackpearl in her since he did know Blackpearl well...

I don't know if it's possible to somehow drag Pearl into this quest. There IS a possibility of skipping Gato until one is able to recruit Pearl for the The Looking Glass Tower quest then go back to Gato, but I'm not sure if the event flags will allow for it or if one might cancel the other. It's one thing to find out in a future playthrough.

In any case, oddly enough, despite having never met Pearl, Rubens does speak of her familiarly if you talk to him in the Underworld.

But back to this quest:

If you try to talk to Rubens some more, Elazul just urges us to go on our way. Poor guy is probably feeling hurt and disappointed that Rubens couldn't give him anything good to look forward to.

[lomappreciationblog]

This was supposed to be a continuation post but stuff happened (Elazul thoughts, The Sword of Fate, and poor guy wanting friends)

Getting right back to where I cut off the previous post, this post will be devoted Elazul and Rubens's conversation in its entirety -

orrr I meant to but a lot of thoughts popped up and this becomes a tangent instead, so if you want to just read about this quests's happenings in particular please go to post I'll make after this! I'm sorry, yapathon deluxe again.

Basically, after the Sproutling runs away again, you have the chance to talk to Rubens:

And Elazul uses it it finally talk properly to the guy, where Rubens finally acknowledges he is speaking to another of his kind. it doesn't end well...

For a complete first-time player to the Jumi Arc, if they somehow got Elazul along while doing Flame of Hope, this is the earliest opportunity to learn that Elazul is not just looking for Pearl, but for other Jumi as well.

...long tangent incoming because a lot of thoughts popped up, so I will not be able to discuss the full conversation actually oops

This also involves happenings from the anime, so just skip all this if you're not interested:

Don't quote me on this as it's been a while since I watched the anime and I cannot double check now that it's taken off Muse Asia's available shows... But from what I remember in the Teardrop Crystal anime,this quest is adapted as Episode 3: Ruby. Shiloh goes alone in the anime as most players probably do, but I vaguely remember that when Shiloh talks to Rubens and finds he is in fact a Jumi, Shiloh refers to Elazul and says he knows of someone who's looking for more of his tribe.

And I remember the subs for the episode phrases it as "he was looking for more of his tribe" but I could swear I caught Shiloh using the word "tomodachi" somewhere in that dialogue. I'm not sure if the if the full sentence was Shiloh saying "I have a friend who was looking for more of his tribe" or...if the dialogue was written to say "he [Elazul] was looking for friends."

Idk, it just gives a whole other dimension to what Elazul says when you find him ready for a quest. He isn't just looking for Pearl, but for other Jumi, which, if one didn't bring him in Flame of Hope, is only fully revealed at the end of The Looking Glass Tower.

Which in itself is already a heartbreaking fact for me, but then I remembered while typing this in Episode 11 of the anime (Teardrop Crystal Part 1) there IS a flashback of Blackpearl handing the Sword of Fate to Elazul when they had a chance meeting in the desert.

The setup of this scene is Blackpearl saves Elazul, and she asks him something like, if there was anything else she could give him at that moment.

His answer to her is, he wants a friend. To which Blackpearl sadly replied she couldn't give him that, but she does hand over the Sword of Fate to him as another gift.

guuuhhhh my heart holding head in hands etc etc Also the coincidence of Blackpearl eventually being able to fulfill Elazul's wish when she became Pearl - my heart -

And while this scene is explicitly shown in the anime, I think it's canon to the game too since Blackpearl mentions she DID in fact give the Sword of Fate to Elazul, which she found when she was on her quest to find the Sword of Mana.

This does bonk up the timeline in my head a little because I could have sworn the implication is Elazul is born AFTER the fall of the Bejeweled City and I think I referred to him as such, buuuuuut...

That doesn't completely work out when Blackpearl gave Elazul the Sword of Fate as herself, so I'm really sorry if I ever said that Elazul was born after everyone already left the City, I let my mouth run on me without considering the timeline,,,,

Now that I'm considering this fact:

Based off what was shown in the anime that is also shared in the game, there came a time when Blackpearl left the Bejeweled City to find the Sword of Mana, leaving Florina in Alexandra's care, and she briefly met Elazul during this time. If the anime is canon, Elazul was already wandering alone at that point in time and is actively looking for other Jumi.

Working off that, I think it's safe to assume that whatever befell Elazul's family isn't pretty and he is the only survivor. I think I kinda remember the manga did show Jumi families being massacred for their cores, which is really dark when the overall tone of the manga is a lot of gag comedy courtesy of Shiro Amano.

Legend of Mana's supplementary media is really something...

But back to Elazul, he seems to know enough to be aware of the Bejeweled City existing, but I don't think he ever got the chance to go (but I will play through the Jumi quest on my 2nd file entirely before saying this for certain, sorry if Elazul mentions otherwise if he was brought along on the Teardrop Crystal quest!!!)

In any case, presumably a little time after Blackpearl meets Elazul, Alexandra kidnaps Florina while Blackpearl is away, causing mass panic and distrust in the Bejeweled City. When Blackpearl arranges a meeting with Alexandra, she is wounded and turned into Pearl, where Elazul finds her and from then on is no longer alone -

A crazy thing to consider is...Sandra must have moved incredibly quick to kill off the Jumi who fled the Bejeweled City if Elazul never met a single refugee before Rubens. And it would line up with how she had already collected 990+ cores if the last ones she had to gather were Rubens's, Sappho's (from Drowned Dreams), the Lucky Clover sisters, Diana, either Pearl or Elazul, and then herself... Granted, it could be that Sandra didn't kill off that many Jumi and collected some as dormant cores, but sheesh, talk about a body count still.

But I just find it heartwarming that Elazul has all the reasons to be a bitter, hostile misanthrope with having no one for him - The older generation of Jumi all definitely got shades of this. Rubens took that route somewhat, Diana too, definitely Sandra did and even Blackpearl scoffed at needing others...

And yes, Elazul is snappy and rude when we first meet him, even occasionally demeaning to Pearl, but...he never gave up hope of finding other Jumi, to find friends. And he does in fact get a happiest ending where he is home with other Jumi, and besides that he's made a friend in the playable character, one whom he even shed tears for.

Blackpearl used to be my favorite in the Jumi arc, but after a lot of consideration, Elazul's innate kindness and hope has endeared me greatly to him, and I can confidently say he is my actual favorite now! Though, really, all the Jumi Arc characters are wonderfully written so it's tough competition.

I heavily debated even posting this mess of a ramble, I hope it makes some sense at least lol.

[lomappreciationblog]

Flame of Hope But I Bring a Buddy Along (it's for emotional support)

I finally gots around to it - doing Flame of Hope, but with Elazul along!

Because besties gotta share the trauma together. This is how I cope with redoing this quest for the 12th time or so, the older I get the more I wince on seeing Rubens get offed. tho honestly this quest is actually more freshly painful with Elazul along...

Well first step is to actually get Elazul, and it's a bit more complicated than I remembered - I really thought that after "Lost Princess" one just naturally finds Elazul in his standby pose in the corner, but when I went back to fetch him this scene plays out.

He's interrogating Rachel again, and it's kinda amusing to see even Rachel knows enough to comment on Pearl being lost again. And while it's implied the first time around that Rachel's sprite shaking is Elazul actually physically shaking her, or the girl just shaking in nervousness...but then -

This time the playable character also shakes, which could mean either that Elazul is shaking us in addition, or - it's the game showing us shaking our head, which would mean Rachel was also just shaking her head. I just find it kinda amusing.

What wasn't amusing and got me confused is that I can't ask Elazul to accompany me after this, and returning to the pub has Elazul disappear and Rachel walking around. I did this for a few days to see if it was matter of the weekday, but nope -

So I decided to start Flame of Hope and then return to Domina, and sure enough Elazul appears in his "recruitable ally" pose.

So to me, that makes bringing Elazul along a fairly hidden option for this quest, but it's still there to reward players who connected the dots.

I've mentioned this before, but an early indication that Elazul isn't just a jerkass is that is aware of the "one who shed tears for a Jumi turns to stone" and it's enough for him to warn us from further association with him. He does have trust issues, but who wouldn't in his position? Still, it's something that he's concerned for our sake and even mentions how grateful he is for any help.

and for that I drag him along for the ride to see a man get murdered

Just to see, I took Elazul along to talk with Alex when he appears as an early bird cameo in Flame of Hope, but Elazul doesn't actually say anything in that conversation, which is kind of a shame, but he probably wouldn't want to talk with a jewelry merchant.

The first change in interaction is, if you ask Rubens about himself, Elazul jumps in:

And Rubens hurriedly deflects.

They don't do the cores resonating thing here, so Elazul didn't confirm Rubens is a Jumi - but I do wonder, based off his phrasing -

Does Elazul find Rubens name an obvious indicator of being a Jumi (seeing as all Jumi have names relating to their cores) or, if Elazul does know of Rubens? Before the fall of Etansel, he was a prominent knight and a known figure, so it's entirely possible Elazul heard of him despite having been born outside of the Bejeweled City.

Rubens does seem to be replying as if the situation is the latter assumption.

Hoo boy this exchange in retrospect, knowing full well what Sandra has done and is capable of doing... She's done it all, lie, steal, and murder, all for protecting Florina, damn it all, and she would see Rubens's hesitation as weakness. But it still speaks of Rubens' character that he voices it out here: "I don't want to hurt anyone."

We get to see more of what makes Rubens tick in the next proper conversation he and Elazul have, but there's something to note that in the hopeless despair that engulfed Rubens's life, he never forgot to be a Jumi, regardless of what he said - first and foremost, they were a race with skills that were meant to heal and protect - the teardrop crystals of course, but also the whole guardian and knight relationship fosters bonds. So being steadfast in not senselessly hurting others is a quality of being a strong Jumi, one that Sandra threw away in her own fall into despair.

I know enough I yap too much for this to be just one thing, so it's a multi-parter post again! Next on delving properly into Rubens in a conversation that wouldn't happen if Elazul isn't there.

[lomappreciationblog]

A fun part of a totally new file in LoM is re-learning the skills and then keeping those skills equipped to unlock other skills, and hopefully STs!

I think some skills will inherently be more useful than others, but some are definitely fun to just play around with, and for me Grapple is one of those.

It's a bit of an oddball move in that it requires two button presses, one to grab an enemy and another to throw it. And a special quirk of it is that there's a "successful" version and a "failed" version -

For the "failed" version, the enemy sprite will slightly squash the player character sprite and the Grapple deals no damage. I'm not sure what affects this, maybe positioning, but I thiiiiiink bigger enemies will tend to lead to failure or are immune? In this clip, it happens around the 25 second mark.

For a successful version, the enemy will be smoothly rolled over and will receive fairly small amount of damage - but that can be enough to defeat them sometimes, which leads to funny imagery for enemies that have defeat animations involving shattering apart. Like, Shiloh manhandling a Rabite so much it explodes into bones (honestly, that defeat animation is macabre when I think about it)

I particularly remember having Grapple equipped when I fought Escad at the end of the Pokiehl: Dream Teller quest in my first LOM HD file, and I snorted when I defeated Escad by yeeting him away from my Rabite. Fun times.

[lomappreciationblog]

I love your blog! I'm so happy to see you posting again!

Aww thanks!!! I'm just glad to hear people enjoying my posts! Rest assured, if I find things to talk about LoM, I will! I think the difficulty is trying to stop me from filling up the Legend of Mana tag once I start lol. ...I wanted to use a gif from the Teardrop Crystal anime here but I can't seem to find much whoops, but this Rabite is cute.

[lomappreciationblog]

So I finally touched my Shiloh playthrough after leaving it in 2024,,,sorry buddy...

I intend for this file to find the Elazul interactions in the Jumi Arc as I got Pearl's for my first one, but in the meantime, there are a couple of quests that still have alternate branches of dialogue, and one of them is Diddle's Letter!

In my original file - I snitched on Capella actually reading Diddle's letter, which will cause the poor guy to become upset and run (wheel?) deeper into the Chobin Hood caves.

For the Shiloh one, I decided to have Shiloh cover up for Capella, which plays out this scene instead:

There's a unique animation of Diddle breathing a sigh of relief and smiling, which you wouldn't really see otherwise.

And what I feel like is the game's way of subtly guilt-tripping you for lying to the kid, even if it wasn't for malicious reasons.

Taking this route does punish you in a gameplay sense, because you have to follow the pair back to the entrance of Luon Highway, where Diddle asks Capella one more time:

After which he will run back to the Chobin Hood caves, and so do you to have to defeat the boss Giga Rex to properly finish the quest.

Though, you can get around the "punishment" of taking the long route by turning off encounters in the HD version, or using the Boink to teleport to the fork area.

In any case the cutscene is the same after finishing the boss fight, with the two making up completely, and Diddle rewarding you with a Gator Skin material, which I fully remember because it's necessary to properly finish one of the Niccolo's Business Unusual quests (can't remember if it was the 3rd one, but it's the one where Watts needs it for a wallet).

[lomappreciationblog]

Probably should have added this to the last post about Domina's Marketplace, but part of the scenery is a background for this segment in the HD version's opening movie! Specifically the flower shop, the fruit shop and the miscellaneous goods store!

It tickles me they faithfully recreated the pile of odd bobs and bits being sold. I really thought there is what appears to be a bird-topped plunger of some sorts, but the movie shows it's two separate things and the plunger-y thing is either a funnel or a bell.

I really do love how the characters in this segment are drawn to look very close to the Shinichi Kameoka art of the game - even Sandra in the background looks much more like her in-game art. I think it has to do with the character proportions...the HD opening movie's depictions of the characters are based off HACCAN's work for the most part, and his art style has the characters in a more typical style, I would say? Like, more regular proportions and features - it lends well to anime, where you'll really want to streamline the designs so as not to kill the animators. Heck, even then with how he streamlined Pearl and Elazul's designs, I'm sure the pair was still a headache to animate.

Shinichi Kameoka's art style is very distinct in comparison, his work for LOM has the characters in a somewhat chibi proportion, with small torsos but big heads and extremities, and he draws faces with big eyes too. It's never gonna happen considering the LoM anime we did get still had a limited budget and it showed a few times...but if there was an anime adaptation that used Shinichi Kameoka's art style, gosh it would be so beautiful if it's possible...but the thing with Mr. Kameoka's work is that it has this handmade feel that's very hard to translate and keep consistent in an animation, so alas.

In any case, I do think it's so sweet that there's a segment in the opening movie featuring Niccolo, Inspector Boyd and even Pelican! And there's even additional details like Niccolo's pack stuffed with odds and ends and Inspector Boyd holding what might be a walkie talkie...maybe a telephone...???

It's not far from the realm of possibility because for all that LoM is charming fantasy land - there are a few anachronistic touches. There is in fact a telephone in Miss Yuka's inn lol. Maybe it operates via magic and not by wire though haha.

[lomappreciationblog]

Let's go 'round Domina's Marketplace~

I've gone on many, many posts about how much the HD version lets one appreciate the beautiful background art even more, and Domina's Marketplace is one where you can most easily see it!

Starting with the row of shops along the upper area:

In a row, the stalls from left to right are selling different goods: The leftmost seems to be selling some sort of fruits or veggies, even?

And then there's a clothing store, complete with clothes on display and hung on a rack, and a mirror even thoughtfully provided on a post presumably so a customer can check to see how their garment looks on them.

Then what appears to be a store selling miscellaneous hadnmade goods all in a pile. I can pick out a mirror, some plates, a drinking gourd and...maybeeee a plunger? topped with a bird's head??? I wonder if the sign above this shop actually does say something, but on my part I can't read it, sorry to say!

And then what is clearly a fruit store with some bananas, what seems to be a papaya, and probably apples and limes of some sort.

Looking at the details...LoM's background hardly has any harsh, straight lines, it's all gently curved, sometimes even sorta squashed-looking, but never in a way that obviously looked warped. I'm sure Lumina especially violates building codes lmao, but it looks so natural and almost effortless in how charming it is?

One can be fooled into thinking there's no hard work involved in making the art for the game, and I feel like the artists aim for that, sometimes. I also have the art book for some of Studio Ghibli's movies, and I think it was in the art book for Arrietty where there was commentary that the artists at Studio Ghibli want viewers to think the art is effortless and I can feel that same vibe in LOM's artwork, like the art was grown rather than manufactured. or maybe i'm just spouting drivel moving on

In the farthest corner on the upper side is this absolutely charming flower/plant shop, with a stall offering and covered in greenery and a door with a flower pattern, even. It's just so cute...I feel like this would make a cute diorama piece.

Along the lower half of this setting, there's another tent stall that seems to be offering drinking vessels...or maybe actual drinks, even? In any case, there appears to be kettles, pots, and barrels next to this one.

And then what inspired me to make a post like this: the Fish stall!!!!! Omg there's so many details here it's crazy - the trident topper to the tent stall as part of the ocean theme, the fish-shaped sign that does in fact read as Fish - And below, what appears to be a holding pool for live fish, some squids on a plate, two rows of fish, and some flat purple discs that could be some sort of shellfish? I got really excited when I eyeballed this stall in game and recognized the squid and the holding pool basically pfft.

Right before Meimei's corner is what I would guess is a snack stall of some sort on wheels. I'm thinking the little brown things are some sort of bread...buuuut I guess it could be anything really, maybe potatoes?

And then finally, Miss Meimei's actual corner, which is also pretty packed with details! First things first - she's smart to camp out in the shady part of of the Markeplace, go girl, stay out of the sun (speaking as a Filipino dealing with the average summer temps of 35-40 degrees Celsius). She also does have an actual umbrella, too!

Intriguingly, she has what appears to be stamps or perhaps cards in a box...more like cards I guess, it would fit with her fortune telling theme. I'm puzzling out the round things, I thought it was maybe a pile of Lucre coins at first, but maybe they're just flowers?

And last little thing, there's always some sort of foliage going on in LoM, of course, but it's still crazy to me the amount of work to put it in, with a flowering bush, and a tree trunk with shelf mushrooms on it??? It's so small a detail no one would really notice, but it's there all the same.

I would personally want to live in Polpota Harbor as a permanent sea lover, but Domina is definitely the hometown in my heart and it's a joy perusing these details and seeing the little wonders the artists leave behind!

[lomappreciationblog]

A cute little detail about the opening movie in the HD version, in this clip showing Elazul and Pearl, Elazul seems to be saying "Shinju" based off the mouth movements.

I take note of it since the anime made it clear that Pearl is referred to as "Shinju" the Japanese word for pearl. I think Shiloh may have also called her "Shinju-hime" once or twice, which is something like Princess Pearl?

Meanwhile Blackpearl is verbally referred to as "Pearl" by other characters (not sure how it would be written, but it's pronounced kinda like "Parl" in the anime). I found it neat that the two Pearls use different languages for their names.

I don't know much about the Japanese names of the rest of LoM's characters beyond the Jumis since they're the ones featured in the Teardrop Crystal anime.

Mentioning this, though, I also like Elazul's name in Japanese, Ruri, it's actually in the art book! It makes him sound so much younger, and he is in fact the youngest Jumi, so fitting (Pearl's circumstances aside).

[lomappreciationblog]

'sup (hasn't made a peep in months)

Buuuuut I opened Legend of Mana on a whim and found something totally new I haven't before and I just had to post this - Niccolo's absolute hater-ism.

The fact that he hates Sproutlings is no secret, it's right in his Tome entry even, but somehow this is the first I ever saw just how much Niccolo hates Sproutlings by saying the most unhinged things in response to a Sproutling's innocent little rambles

I actually failed to catch the first response because I was surprised there's a unique interaction in the first place. But anyway, how I got this conversation is, I talked to the Marketplace Sproutling after getting Niccolo as a companion for the first Business Unusual quest, and basically after the Sproutling goes on its first dialogue about them having no souls, Niccolo says he hates Sproutlings, and continuing to talk to the Sproutling brings up the rest of this spite-filled response. I'm not sure if I'm impressed or horrified.

The whole time this was escalating my thoughts went from "what the hell Niccolo" to "WHAT THE HELL NICCOLO" to "forget Drakonis we got the real most evil overlord right here"

Um. Anyway. Hope to make a little appreciation posts for the Marketplace sometime! And finally work on the Produce Tome.

[lomappreciationblog]

Part 9! Last one of these posts, sadly, I did include some posts not strictly tagged as 26th anniversary but I still saw shortly after the date - but, well, we can always use more LOM to love!

The Legend of You - I did love how the text for the character's name says that before you edit it. This is a really good Shiloh drawing, too!

Li'l Cactus! I love seeing traditional fan art of the characters.

The Star-Crossed Lovers again! I especially love how the ends of Matilda's hair looks.

Shiloh and Serafina once more! Idk how to articulate it, but this art style made them look so warm.

Some more protagonists from the same person! (they're also the one who made the sculptures in a previous post). I love their artwork too!

Choose your fighter with these Heroines - Brawler maining Gloves, a monk maining the Flail, or canon version with the Spear?

I do love that the number of weapons lends to the unique individual experience of playing LOM and it reflects in the fanart, too!

And lastly, some crafts! The Poto plush is adorable omg, I always found that particular monster cute and it makes me so happy seeing a plush made of it. Also felt recreation of the produce!!!

Annnd that's the last of them! This was such a fun anniversary, I was bouncing in happiness finding all of these. Goes to show, if one thinks their particular fandom is dead, it never is. Even older games have its passionate fans, it just takes finding them.

...uh, that being said, this particular blog will be on rest. Not sure what my next LOM projects will be, I have a couple more thoughts about stuff like Florina's two knights being each others' foils and maybe do an analysis/chronicle on the characters of the Star-Crossed Lovers arc, but hooo boy that's. That will require a lot of thinking. And hopefully some more fanart sometime this year again! But regular posts are on hold for the moment, see you another time!

[lomappreciationblog]

Part 8 of the 26th anniversary finds! A couple of retro-style artwork for this one:

These ones featuring duo artwork of the protagonists, Elazul and Pearl, and Bud and Corona/Lisa!

I found out Lisa's name was originally Corona in the JP version while watching the anime, and I thought, oh, it's theme naming, Bud and Corona are flower-themed! ...apparently it's also a theme naming after brands of beer too lol.

More artwork that reminds me of a retro anime look. Hmm, that's not the real name of this art style, though, sorry if I'm using the wrong terms - but it's a particular anime art style, with big sparkly eyes...it's a charming look that pairs well with LOM Characters. I especiallt love how Daena looks!

Pearls! This is one of the most unique stylized look I found, what a pretty flow-y art style with lots of colors!

More Elazul! This one also reminds me of older manga/anime styles. There's a lot of fine detailing in the fabric!

Home sweet home! This is so cute...I love the references to the Daddy's Broom quest, and Shiloh carrying a basket might be a reference to the anime's first episode.

Shiloh and Rabite! Such a cute and squishy art style!

Serafina fanart! I can tell this is the HACCAN version of the character from the obvious purple eyes and the shorter hair sticks haha. Kameoka's Heroine illustrations have less clear eye colors and longer hair pipes.

Another watercolor illustration, this time of Pearl! The details of the sleeves especially are insane, wow.

...this was totally meant to be posted yesterday but I got too busy and forgor...really should just schedule these when I made them ahead of time lol.

[lomappreciationblog]

Part 7! It's neat I can make more than two posts of these type, I feel like the 26th anniversary brought out a lot of posts in the fandom.

Shiloh fanart! I can see the drawing from HACCAN's version of the character, but I can also feel Kameoka's influence too - I can't put it into words neatly, but it there was a good in-between of Shiloh and Hero, this is it.

The doomed duo all cute before everything went to pieces. Ahaha, but I can see them being like this, how adorable.

Crushing crabs at the beach! I feel bad doing this so I try not to do it too much...until I found out crushing a high number was the only way to get Valerie and her baby to stay at Home.

LOM with its obscure little mechanics. This has a follow-up illustration:

Blackpearl joins in the fray. Poor crabs...

Obligatory share because it's best girl Monique~

Quite possibly the cutest art style I saw in this anniversary! Everyone looks so cute and squishy, but wow the line art is so clean!

More protags with Li'l Cactus and some artifacts, too! Hm, reminds me, I see a few drawings/sprites of Heroine with green clothes like in this one, is it a multiplayer thing...? I've never seen it before in-game.

Bud and Lisa join Li'l Cactus's diary-writing! I wonder what they're writing about...goes without saying, adorable! I love the pencil look!

Protagonist again - but not Shiloh or Hero, it's Toto from the manga! There's also other art included in the retweet, of Elazul and Pearl and the Star-Crossed Lovers.

Ending this post with this hwaaaaaa-absolutely gorgeous watercolor painting of Elle! I envy all the art styles I see here but this one especially, I aspire to! Elle is already a beautiful character but seeing her in watercolors like this is moving.