I've translated the Vesperia drama CD, TalesRing Vesperia, comic market 85, titled "Birth of the Brave Vesperia Troupe!"!
(And happy anniversary to Vesperia!)
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Summary: Yuri finds a tax collector harassing a shop owner and gets involved, but due to how it progresses, ends up having to do community service. Yuri's friends decide to help him out because his job is to do something for the festival for the Lower Quarter. They discuss it and eventually decide on a fairytale play (Cinderella), and Yuri tells Rita (who's deciding the roles for everyone) that he doesn't care what his role is, as long as he has no lines. She gives him the role of one of the wicked stepsisters, unbeknownst to Yuri, and Judith manages to get a then-half asleep Yuri dressed in a dress.
Yuri goes to take a walk after the group reacts with either amusement or endearment at how beautiful he looks, eventually coming across a rumored bomber. Unable to chase the fleeing culprit due to the dress he's wearing, Repede goes after him, but the culprit ends up finding the stage that the play is happening on.
Chaos ensues. Of... varying degrees. And a lot of people think Yuri is gorgeous.
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The summary of course doesn't cover everything that happens in the CD. This is just a brief summary for it, but there's a ton of shenanigans and lots of fun!
Translation notes below!
(Note that these are just notes for this specific CD. Other general Vesperia translations, such as Patty's "nanoja"/"noja", I've written up in another post, separate from this one, for a more general notes list of any Vesperia translations I do.)
During Patty's imagination scene, she says "Aifread's love is love's love". This is most likely a play on the fact that Aifread's name starts with "Ai", which by itself means "love", as she goes on to use "rabu" (Engrish for "love"), thus using both the JP and Eng versions for the word.
When Raven is pretending to be on stage/during his imagination scene, he refers to himself as "Raven-kun" and "Raven-chan". I kept them as is because I wasn't totally sure what to put for "kun" in this case, and just dropping both to be consistent with dropping the "kun" wouldn't really work because then he'd be using just his name three times, despite pretending he's doing three separate performances with different names. Most of the time I'll try to translate honorifics wherever possible, but in most cases if I can't translate them, I'll just keep them. It also depends on the situation, like in this case how it'd just be weird and make no sense to drop them. The reason I'm not using something like "Mister Raven", "Miss Raven" and "Raven" is because there's no indication he's using those honorifics with that intention (i.e. using kun for male and chan for female, as people would normally expect those honorifics to be for, but he refers to Flynn as Flynn-chan, so his intentions when using "chan" is absolutely assuredly not just in female cases).
During the play, I'm pretty sure Raven and Judith are using bidakuonĀ in their speech to try to sound old fashioned. Sometimes it's present and sometimes it's not when they're speaking out their play dialogue, so I'm unsure if that had to do with the CD script, the VAs accidentally dropping it while recording, or if it was purposely done that way for the characters, as if having trouble using it/remembering to use it. I considered using nicknames for the characters to reflect the (what seems to me to be) bidakuonĀ usage, and because it'd make sense they'd be using nicknames for a public play, but since the characters themselves aren't consistent with it, I wasn't a hundred percent certain what the intention was, so I decided to keep the regular names and just leave this note about it.
When Yuri says the "skirt" is hard to walk in, despite it being clarified previously that it's a full dress, he's referring to the lower end of the dress as a skirt. This is technically correct by outfit design, as a dress can be broken down into "parts" of its whole, and the part he's referring to that he's having trouble walking in is the area of the dress known as a "skirt".
Been listening to the First Strike drama CD again because it's on my list of possible translations. I've always had this idea about Flynn in the drama CD prior, because it felt off to me how extreme he felt. I've been thinking about it a lot though based on both Mamo and Tori's lines deliveries. While I do think the drama CD still made Flynn a bit extreme in his attitude, I do think to a heavy enough point, it's relatively justified. Originally I thought it was just too much, but now I'm thinking it's slightly too much but in a way that I understand it more.
This is both an analysis of Yuri and Flynn, but mostly about how Flynn is perceiving Yuri in the knights based on Yuri's behavior.
Also known as, I got carried away and accidentally basically psychoanalyzed these two when I was just trying to express why I think maybe I was too harsh on Flynn when I went through this drama CD in the past lol.
This is in parts so it's... easier to digest I guess lol.
Two things first before I get into Flynn specifically.
Firstly, Mamo and Tori know their characters, and they recorded in the booth together during the game's recording, so their line deliveries as these characters are very intentional and pointed. They know how to engage as these characters. I don't know to what extent they had a say in delivery during the drama CDs, but they did have a say in some things to some degree during the game. I'm not sure if that carries into side media, but I keep it in mind (based on my understanding, they also had some input in dialogue itself along the way if they had questions and such). Tori in particular was basically just told to go for it when he recorded (i.e. they let him do what he thought felt best for Yuri's dialogue as he recorded the lines. I'm sure the director did directing, but Tori kinda "directed himself" in a way, when it came to Yuri's voice work. I'm taking this information directly from Tori's own interviews). Meaning, a lot of Yuri's goofiness and silliness, especially in tone, is probably something we can safely attribute to Tori. That's very relevant to this drama CD.
Post game work, Tori has been a helping hand in handling Yuri across media via his own input (remember, Yuri has been in gachas, crossovers in other gachas, other mobage games, etc. He's been in a lot of stuff that wasn't handled by the original writers. The only consistent factor in Yuri's character, throughout damn near endless appearances, is Tori. At this point, Tori knows him extremely well, and it was pointed out to him in an interview that he understands Yuri better than the original writers). How much input he has overall I don't know, or exactly what content he has it in. I do wonder though, if he saw any glaring issues with Yuri's characterization in side media, if he would speak up. I'm not saying he definitively would because I don't know him personally, and I don't know how involved in that sort of thing he gets if not asked. However, I do know he loves Yuri a lot from various things he's said, and I do wonder if he'd at least bring it to someone's attention if he thought Yuri's behavior was abnormal in side media.
The reason I'm pointing these out is because I'm under the impression that Yuri's dialogue and behavior is intentional via voicework (even in this CD). This has everything to do with Flynn's irritability in the drama CD, in a way that's even more explainable than the movie itself, actually.
Flynn time!
I won't deny that there are times Flynn made me angry during this drama CD. But there are a few things I noticed about Mamo's line delivery in particular. It's not usually sheer anger. It's exhaustion.
Part 1!
Cut to the first interaction Flynn has with Yuri in the drama CD. It's relaxed and calm, not irritable at all, and even sounds a bit happy to see him. They bicker a bit, but it's lighthearted. Flynn isn't expressing anything beyond familiarity. Heck, ffs! When Yuri is about to introduce himself to someone, Flynn suddenly shows up and introduces Yuri to the guy instead! Flynn's first appearance in the CD is telling someone who Yuri is before Yuri can introduce himself. Yuri sounds shocked but not unhappy to see Flynn, which means he's not already expecting Flynn to give him a hard time.
This lighthearted reunion only takes a turn when Yuri goes out of line during the practical exam. The practical exam is to fight off a monster, so the examiner can understand the person's skill. Yuri wasn't aware of this and panicked a bit when he thought Lucio, the new guy they just met, was in danger during Lucio's exam. He jumped in and killed the monster to save him. This nearly got Yuri disqualified from knighthood entirely. A man named Morris saved him by pointing out that Yuri teeeechnically did what the exam called for. It wasn't his turn, but he clearly had the skill they were looking for in the practical exam. Effectively, Yuri passed the point of the exam. Flynn's attitude only started to shift when he realized Yuri couldn't handle taking orders, but was entering into knighthood.
That said, I don't excuse Flynn's snarky attitude when Yuri nearly got failed. It was rude and uncalled for, and Yuri was obviously shaken up by being disqualified. I'm not gonna defend Flynn's bullshit right there. It was just mean spirited. Though, I will get into Flynn's bullshit mean spirited remarks later.
Part 2!
Cut to their time as knights. Flynn's seen Yuri's impulsiveness. Now it's gotten worse.
Flynn explains that Yuri took detours like he was on a trip (on their way to Shizontania), took long breaks, or just started riding his horse because he felt like it (not... sure where the issue is on that last one, but!). Basically, Yuri stalled them from getting to their destination and Flynn was bothered by that. In other words, Yuri is already treating being a knight like a grade school field trip. From our view, that might seem reasonable. Different people react differently to things they've never seen or done. For Flynn, this was annoying. Sure, that's fine.
When they meet Niren before realizing he's their captain, Flynn has more or less calmed down. He's not giving Yuri any shit. At this point, it's fair to say Flynn's probably willing to get things go if Yuri gets his shit together.
However, then they meet their squad. This isn't something I blame Yuri for, but Erwin basically gives Yuri shit and pushes his buttons on purpose. It ends up with them in a physical fight. Unfortunately, in Flynn's perspective, this affects him too, because his partner he was newly assigned here with is lashing out. I give Yuri a pass, but for Flynn, this is just another offense in his reasons why Yuri isn't fit to be a knight, which eventually culminate in this becoming a huge issue for him. They've just met their squad, and not even five minutes in, Yuri has gotten into a physical altercation with one of the members.
Shortly after this, when the twins are prompting the boys to go with them, Yuri's response is a drawled out "heeei" (basically "yuuup" in this context). Chastel scolds his tone and speech, saying it's "hai" (yes). Yuri's first reaction is to essentially mock it, responding with a sarcastic "hai, hai". This is pretty much immediately after the physical fight he just got in. Hisca remarks that she's worried about what's going to happen from then on. Flynn says "my apologies" in a strained voice. It feels like he's expecting this to continue because really, it's all he's seen since seeing Yuri again.
Flynn starts to realize very quickly that Yuri isn't cut out for knighthood because he can't take orders and actively refuses to be respectful.
I think a very important thing to note here is that Flynn is possibly attaching himself and people's view of him to how Yuri behaves. In a way, you could argue Flynn is seeing Yuri as an extension of part of himself. They're childhood friends, and now they're knights together and assigned the same squad (and room). In most senses, they're a package deal. I believe this is affecting Flynn's perception of how other people will view him because of Yuri's behavior.
I don't think that's all it is, though. I think Flynn is also aggravated because this is Yuri. This is someone he's supposed to trust and care about, but Yuri is repeatedly proving he can't be trusted. With, like, anything. He was more than happy to introduce Yuri before Yuri could even get the words out. Now he's frustrated more often than not. Yuri's behavior isn't befitting a knight, but he also seems to be intentionally rebellious against everyone around him.
It's worth noting we get to learn Yuri got into a physical fight immediately into the CD to protect someone, and Hanks had to deal with it. Hanks is exhausted by Yuri's behavior too, and he also doesn't think Yuri would make it as a knight. In this regard, we can see it's not just Flynn having issues seeing Yuri as a knight. It's not just Flynn who is keenly aware that Yuri has serious behavioral issues.
I don't have a problem with that myself, and I find it a fascinating aspect of Yuri's character. Especially when I consider how he acts in the game, from start to finish, I like to compare that to how he behaves in the drama CD and the movie. Point being though, Yuri is very much a problem child at the point of the drama CD/movie. Flynn isn't totally in the wrong for being pissed off so often.
Back to Flynn, I think seeing his cherished childhood friend act out like this is also frustrating. Nothing he says or does gets through to Yuri. He may as well have a conversation with a brick wall, and he'd probably find more success. Yuri isn't at all receptive to anyone's comments toward him. It's sort of like, people are trying to help him be better and deal with personality flaws, but instead of realizing this is clearly an ongoing issue multiple people have with him, he responds by doing it even more. Basically, if he's scolded for poor behavior, he acts like a child and just does it even harder. I realize it's difficult to get out of habits. No matter how many people tell you something, you might not be able to quite change that aspect about you. However, this isn't Yuri's issue by itself. It's that he reinforces his own behavior if he's told to knock it off. It's not just "sorry, I have a hard time fixing that part of me". It's "if you tell me to stop being like this, I'm gonna do it even more".
After this, in the next scene, Yuri mocks the corrections even harder. I realize that as an audience, this is probably meant to make us laugh and find amusement in his attitude. Not that it doesn't - I love his personality, and I love how lively the voicework is. But from Flynn's perspective? Holy shit, this is the most immature person on the planet and most children would be more mature than this.
This loops me back around to Tori's input on Yuri's character. It makes me wonder if he'd speak up if he thought this CD was going too far on Yuri's behavior. Regardless though, I believe Flynn's emotional responses are also perfectly handled by Mamo. I feel that the pitches in his voice also accurately express that he's not just angry, but worn out and exhausted with Yuri's childish attitude.
Part 3!
When they're in their room and talking, Flynn still tries to start off calm. Yuri's attitude starts to bother him, but he keeps it together. You can tell the pitch of his voice fluctuates in frustration, but he doesn't get extremely angry this time. This reads to me like Flynn's still trying to be reasonable. Problem is, Yuri isn't trying to be reasonable. He's whiny and complains about everything. It was around this point I started to wonder, is Flynn really the problem here?
There are times when Flynn is trying to calmly scold Yuri. Maybe he's realized yelling doesn't work. This is something I noticed a long time ago with these two, but when Flynn raises his voice, Yuri raises his too. When Flynn is calm, Yuri remains calm (even in Yormgen in the game, when Yuri starts off angry because of the Alexei situation, he calms down very quickly after a deep breath). Even in this drama CD, when Flynn is scolding him without raising his voice, Yuri isn't very receptive, but they don't argue about it.
When they're talking to the twins later, Flynn keeps his voice low and calm, and after all this, still politely asks that Yuri please speak properly because the conversation is going nowhere. Yuri is slightly receptive for a little bit. This adds to the point that one tends to bounce off the other's mood.
Their assignment is cleaning the barn. Yuri doesn't wanna do that, but he does it. Afterward, he mentions being hungry. Flynn mentions they still have to do maintenance on the armor. Yuri remarks that he "can't do this", to which Flynn scolds him with the classic Yuuuri tone ( :D ), but he's still pretty calm. Yuri won't let up complaining though, and this is when Flynn starts getting ticked off again. This is when Flynn starts to really say that if Yuri doesn't like this, he shouldn't have joined the knights, and that Yuri is half-hearted about being in the knights (i.e. he wants to be in the knights, but he won't do what it takes to be a knight).
This obviously hits a nerve because Yuri tells him to shut up and walks away... but if you ask me, it only hit a nerve because he knew Flynn was right. He does this same thing at Torim in the game. When Flynn calls him out on something he doesn't know how to do anything about, he gets frustrated and walks away.
Basically, up to this point, what has Yuri really even done here besides whine, complain, and mock people? Again, I think Flynn is really harsh, and he never takes the time to talk to Yuri about what's really going on and why he's acting out so badly. Flynn is not at all blameless here, and instead of trying to gently direct Yuri, he often gets snappy. We know Flynn has a temper, and this obviously isn't helping either of them, but it's rare that Flynn gives Yuri a gentle push. When he does, Yuri reciprocates.
Intermission!
I do think that as the drama CD goes on, Flynn is unnecessarily harsh. His way of pushing back with Yuri's childish and apathetic attitude is to be cocky and mean. I do realize though that they're younger here. They're probably around 18 or so. In the game, it's mentioned that Repede is about 4 years old near the end of the game, and Yuri's 22 near the end of the game. I'd wager they're around 17 in the drama CD, maybe 18.
That said, they certainly act their age, and Flynn's response to Yuri's bullshit is in no way healthy for either of them or well thought out. Flynn uses negative reinforcement to try to make Yuri behave. He doesn't try to push him forward with positive reinforcement. It gets to the point where he keeps trying to get Yuri to quit, and Yuri keeps acting out (not even just because it's Flynn. Yuri is just like that in this CD. He does it to the twins too). Basically, the more and the longer Yuri acts out, the more it pushes Flynn. The angrier Flynn gets, the more that anger clouds his judgement and makes his responses come across as mean spirited. He doesn't try to sit Yuri down and just talk to him. His tone of voice is more, uh, "well maybe you should just quit then, byeee". Some word for that LOL.
Also, Tori does a fantastic job of getting this childish attitude across, both when Yuri's happy and excited or annoyed and being disrespectful. There's a very childlike innocence to him when he's happy.
The thing is, I realize to some of us it might look like the drama CD took these two to extremes. I do think to that a point, they're a bit exaggerated. However, we don't really have all that much info to begin with on their attitudes at this point in their life. This drama CD feels to me like both of them have a lot of personal issues they're trying to work out. I don't think the CD is perfect, and I do think it exacerbated their argumentative nature from the movie. Even then though, just from the contents of the CD, I do understand where Flynn is coming from. I can't imagine that if I were in his position that I'd be any happier. I'd be frustrated and annoyed.
Yuri gets passes from me, generally speaking, because I adore him. I also have, in previous posts, expressed why this attitude works perfectly if you count the novels in his character timeline and then consider the contents of the movie, and then the game. He goes from a sweet teenager with a perfectly happy and content life to losing both safety and loved ones very quickly. If you add the movie context to that, Flynn evidently moved away sometime after this. Yuri's whole life fell apart, and suddenly he's a problem child. That leads into this drama CD, and then the movie, where he's still like he is in the CD, but a little more mature at the start. As the movie goes on, he matures further, perhaps from the trauma of losing Lambert and then Niren.
Just from the context of the CD alone though, I've been harsher on Flynn than I think he deserves, because of the way he reacts and presents himself (versus what's triggering those responses). However, I think the reason for that is because Flynn's handling of Yuri's antics is to be spiteful. There's also a tone in his voice sometimes that sets me off. But ultimately, I think they're both very messed up and butting heads so badly because they're both in a very bad place. At the start of the CD, Yuri doesn't know what to do with himself, but he wants to protect the LQ somehow.
Obviously there are inconsistency plot holes across Vesperia media. I don't expect it to be perfect with how many people were involved in all these things. But basically, the CD just needed a reason to go over why he wanted to join the knights. Yuri getting into fights and causing public disturbances wasn't a good way to protect anyone. Point being though, his way of protecting people was something even he realized wasn't the best way and was disruptive. He's aware he's got issues. His biggest problem is that he makes absolutely no effort during the CD to fix that... which is less a criticism of his character during the span of a one hour drama CD, and more an expression of understanding of why Flynn struggles to tolerate how he acts.
Part 4!
So, Yuri wants to eat. The twins make him feed Repede first for slacking off on his work, and let Flynn off of work for the day. Flynn says he's going on ahead then. Normally, I'd interpret this as teasing. And normally, if we were in, say, arc 3 of Vesperia, it would be. Here though it feels more like a "haha, told you". While this attitude still bothers me, Flynn did his lame ass menial work like he was told to do as the new recruit. Yuri slacked off and whined about it. Flynn is giving him a snarky, validated response.
In Yuri's defense, it probably does feel like everyone but Niren (and Yurgis) is against him. Complaining about him, not bothering to understand him, and not wanting to take his personal desires or feelings into account. I'd say he probably feels expendable and unwanted. Maybe that makes him act out even more. I do feel bad for him because I do feel like it's not fair to him that nobody really sits him down to have an honest conversation with him (Niren does the closest thing in this drama CD, not counting the actual movie, and Niren's obviously very good to Yuri and there's no issue between them. Which, surprise, the one guy who lets Yuri be who he is and doesn't act overly formal has no friction with him). This isn't just on Flynn. We're consistently shown throughout Vesperia media that Flynn has a very bad temper (novel, FS drama CD, movie, arc 1 of Vesperia), so his responses, at his age and in this situation, seem pretty understandable. But what is Yuri supposed to think when he expresses any desire at all and gets pushback? How dare he mention being hungry, right?
But to Flynn, who is so used to everything coming out of his mouth being whining and groaning, it just sounds like more complaining. There's even a part after all this where Flynn immediately says "look, if you're just going to complain--". He's so used to it by then that he doesn't think to expect anything else.
Yuri is impatient and annoyed still because they're at the bottom of the barrel as new recruits. They're doing menial work. Shit nobody wants to do. Yuri wants to be a knight to go out and help people. He hates that they're not doing that. They're nearly doing maid work at first, and that is not why he joined the knights.
For Flynn, this is an issue because Yuri is now showing he does not have the patience to climb the ranks. He can't prove his worth at the bottom and work his way up. He wants to start higher up. That's not how proving your worth works. You have to start at a low tier, prove you can do that work to advance, prove you can do the next work type, and so on. By being unable to even handle these menial tasks without complaining, Yuri is showing he can't handle not just being given a role he hasn't been able to prove he can do yet.
Part 5!
This is meant to be comical at first I think, but Yuri leaves the shower dripping wet into their room. Flynn is shocked and scolds him. Yuri is annoyed. In this scene though, I can hear the utter disbelief in Flynn's voice for Yuri's absolute disregard for anything. I mean, in Flynn's defense? Yuri's been an absolute disaster since the practical exam. I don't think Flynn dislikes him by any means. I think Flynn strongly dislikes and sometimes hates the way Yuri acts. And when I think about it as if all that were happening to me - if someone were behaving like Yuri and we were roommates and I had to deal with it - I'd probably be annoyed and angry too.
It gets to the point where Flynn gets angry at the tiniest, most unimportant things. Yuri used his towel and he got snippy about it, as if adding onto "well I'm already mad, so here's another thing".
Yuri sounds... maybe not hurt by Flynn's reaction, but it lacks the usual fight and pushiness. It comes across to me as more exhaustion. Yuri says he's just borrowing Flynn's towel because all his towels are used, but it's not argumentative. Flynn is exasperated at this point and says it's because Yuri doesn't do his laundry often enough. This scene is basically Flynn's breaking point, as he tells Yuri to put himself in Flynn's shoes, saying these things to him day after day. You can hear how tired of this he is.
Unfortunately Flynn raising his voice further caused Yuri to raise his and get frustrated too, declaring he's tired of putting up with this day after day and that he's quitting. So, it's not really just Flynn at this point now urging him to leave. Yuri's said he's going to quit.
When Flynn confirms this decision with him and Yuri insists, Flynn says he understands and won't stop him. Yuri sucks in a breath and has a long, pointed pause before he responds with a phrase that, in this context, is sort of like "oh yeah?", "gotcha", "okay then", "is that right?", etc. Maybe it's just me, but it feels like Yuri was hoping he would try to convince him not to leave. Yuri seems disappointed that he was so willing to let him quit.
But when Flynn speaks again, his voice shakes. To me it sounds like uncertain anger, like he's trying to force himself to go through with this. It's not his usual "good, great, get out of here" attitude that he has when he knows it won't happen. Now that it's actually happening, it sounds more like he's trying to convince himself to let it happen (possibly because he also knows it's best for Yuri too, even if he doesn't want it to actually happen. Imo this would also tie back into their in game conversation about Yuri not joining the knights again. Flynn wants him to, but Yuri refuses. Flynn knows it's best for Yuri, but that doesn't stop him from wanting Yuri there). But there's also this feeling of ugh, finally.
In the next scene, another thing I noticed is that when Yuri shouts at Flynn, even that is childish, especially compared to how he behaves in the game. In the scene following that, you can hear frustration in Flynn's voice again when Yuri still won't speak to Niren properly (which again, Niren doesn't mind, but Yuri's overall lack of manners in general has been a point of contention). Even when Yuri is talking with a couple of kids later, Flynn gets on his case for talking and not helping (which to be fair, the kids talked to Yuri first and he wasn't slacking off at that time).
At this point it feels like both of them are stuck in these behavioral patterns. When they get back after a mission Niren took them on, they're basically back to the same old arguing. I'm sure in the following case, it was meant to be more comical, but it's pretty clear they're both still going at it and that Flynn is worked up over useless and sometimes petty things, which seems to be spurred by Yuri's apathy.
When Repede feels ill, they both take care of him with a little bickering, but it's relatively calm. I think it's a good scene to end off with, but also shows they truly don't hate each other. They sleep together with Repede to be with him in the morning, to see how he'll feel and if they should bring him to a doctor. The CD ends on a very lighthearted note, in contrast to the arguing that happens throughout.
SO BASICALLY!
I do still get annoyed with Flynn in this CD a lot. I do think he should've shown more care toward Yuri (and Yuri shouldn't have been so whiny, but that was... a very general problems and not just related to Flynn). Given this is a prequel to FS though, I think Flynn is going through a lot mentally in regard to his father. I think it's also possible he's frustrated that someone he cares so much about claims to want the same thing as him, but doesn't just not act accordingly, but instead actively goes out of his way to go against the grain.
I do think Yuri is extremely immature at this point. I love that part of him to pieces because I enjoy studying him under a magnifying glass! But I do think that Yuri's behavior is very much part of the reason Flynn acts the way he does. It's not that Flynn is just naturally like that. It's that Yuri pushes his buttons even when he's not trying to.
I think both of them are just suffering in their own way, and the way that presents itself conflicts with the other, thus leading to bad reactions. I think a big reason why I was originally more upset with Flynn is because Yuri is sometimes just being casual and harmless, but Flynn reacts strongly. But again, the more I thought about it in this CD's case... I think it's because at a certain point, it's all Flynn expected anymore. Every little thing bothered him.
I have feelings/thoughts on what Yuri might be going through, but a lot of it is more vague and up for interpretation, l I think. I might make a separate post about his situation, because I think he has a lot on his mind, but it's just easier to see why Flynn is the way he is because the evidence is blatant in this CD. Yuri obviously has issues, but I think the reason for those issues is just a lot more vague. They exist, but we don't know the cause.
Okay! Vesperia rant time! Does anyone else think that Patty was absolutely useless? I tried to like her, but I feel like she adds nothing significant to the story at all. I hate her gameplay too. Her voice is awful too, squeak, and that's it. Her simping for Yuri was really creepy too. šµāš« I laughed when Yuri dropped her in that one cutscene. I would too if she was getting into trouble this often.
I don't know if I'm in the minority or not when it comes to Patty, but do you guys agree? If not, tell me why she's good, because I can't see it.
I also feel that way! Kinda really big rant here, sorry lol, so I'll have it under a cut! I never see people who feel this way, since everyone I know loves Patty or at least enjoys her, so I got a little carried away with how much I wrote lol. I just find that we're very much in the minority, but I'd also like to cover my own grievances because holy shit, someone feels the same way lol.
I think the real problem is that they planned her originally, cut her out (presumably to time constraints), and then added her back in. But by adding her back in after fully finishing the entire main story, all they could do was insert her into what already existed unless they wanted to completely remake the game (there are issues fans had with this to begin with, because they obviously released the game just to have it released at a certain time, rather than delay it. All they did here was release the game, then continue working on it to force Patty back in, and then release the same game a year later. It... didn't go over well with fans LOL).
Ultimately all of Patty's lines come off as useless, mid-conversation inserts that don't contribute to the actual discussion (and in rare cases they seem to, it's just because they added in something like a question from her, to which it looks like the other person answers... but in the original version, the second speaker needed no prompting and said their line anyway. Basically, her contributions to most conversations have no substance and are very generic in anything that isn't directly relevant to a scene completely added in for her).
This is even worse for some folks who originally played the game on the 360. At least for me, I can see exactly where her useless lines were added in to make her seem present and just to give her a throwaway line here and there, but if you remove her lines, the conversation can go on perfectly without her lines. They're not necessary at all, in a different way from a line anybody could've said, because other characters have substance, but someone needs to say the generic lines. Generic lines are almost (if not) all Patty has except in her own isolated scenes that were made for her just to give her something.
Like mentioned above, her lines that aren't throwaway lines and are actually important are only important to her own isolated character story. The remastered version of the game added new scenes to justify her being there, but they were often useless and just existed to... show she existed. You have multiple scenes of her for the first half of the game where she's just there to effectively say hi and bye, and they're so isolated that they do absolutely nothing except remind you she exists.
Patty had an interesting story premise, but because they cut her out and added her back in later, she had absolutely no impact on the game's story or plot. While you could probably argue this for every character that got added in a Tales remake (Vesperia is special case because while it's a remaster and not a remake, Patty was planned to begin with but was cut, and the game went on without her... which is exactly the problem with adding her back in in post without a total remake/overhaul), I find that it's especially bad for Patty, because her lines contribute nothing.
(Basically, every time Tales games get a remake and not a remaster, they thus far have added a random new character, or in Innocence R's case, two characters who had absolutely nothing to do with the game's plot, which is extra egregious because Innocence's plot is deeply intertwined with interconnected characters, and all the characters have a specific connection with the main character.)
By herself, I think her character arc is okay when she's not, like you said, simping over Yuri. Imo that completely hinders her character arc, and also takes away from, what I think is, anyway, the implication that she was in love with Seifer - especially when she remembers Seifer and still keeps simping for Yuri. Her enjoyable arc aspects get constantly swept aside.
Another issue I have with her character is that in the drama CDs, her sole role is to simp for Yuri. She has no other purpose, no other lines. Her sole reason for existing in the CDs seems to be because they needed to have her there, because it'd be weird not to have a character from the main group in them, but they didn't know what else to do with her outside of her own isolated arc. This is another issue with her arc being so isolated: there's nothing for her to do outside of it, because the game came and went without her to begin with.
Personally I hate it, because I found aspects of her arc enjoyable, and some aspects of her character enjoyable. I really appreciated her relationship with Flynn. But it all falls apart when you literally lose nothing by removing her in the very game they re-added her into; and for me at least, when half her interactions are just infuriating because she's just insanely annoying and almost can never have a normal conversation with Yuri without simping for him somewhere in the conversation.
Also, a bit of a side thing, but I hated the way they completely ruined an important Raven scene by wanting to have an excuse to use her. Her convincing Raven to shoot at the knights in Cados "to get Judith's measurements" was such bullshit to me when in the original, he just does it on his own. The scene takes away his agency, but it also undermines the fact that Raven's interactions with the knights were always hints to his identity. Instead of being a silly, goofy nutjob like his usual persona, he has an interestingly serious moment where he used his head and got them through Cados in two cases where they were stuck. One of those got completely changed just to incorporate Patty just to, what? Have her... do something? At the expense of another character who still needed the development at that point in the story?
It sucks because there are times I wanna like her and her story, but I constantly get reminded why I can't stand her. I know Yuri tries to "indulge the little child who has a crush" and all, but it gets old very fast when 75% or more of her characterization is simping for Yuri. Yuri actually getting annoyed with her simping in one of the drama CDs had me soaring out of gratitude lol.
Sorry this is super long, I just have... so many pent up frustrations with how they handled her, right from the main game to the side material. I don't like character additions in a lot of cases, mainly because it often does more harm than good to the original game (in some cases I'm neutral; like with Hearts R, I had no issue with it because it didn't use Galando in a way that felt like a hindrance to the original's storytelling), but Patty was... baaaad. I think the only case that makes me more angry is Innocence R because the new characters had nothing to do with the main character, which having to do with the main character is the entire point of the story and its characters, and literally the plot itself (and I feel like that's insanely immersion breaking, as someone who adores Innocence).
Patty is just useless and annoying, and I hate saying that because I have friends who love her, and her story had potential. But them removing her, making the whole story without her, and then re-inserting her in a way that couldn't properly incorporate her really did damage to what she could've been imo. Like, if they'd just held the game off and made it with her always as part of it? If they'd made her more integral to... anything? Maybe I wouldn't be as annoyed, because her incessant simping would still annoy me, but the simping on top of being utterly useless to the story just ruins it entirely for me. There are absolutely Tales characters I don't like who actually have a massive role in the plot or a large enough role in the plot, but at least they like... have... something to do... in the story...
Yeah. :')
Also yeah, her battle style is very much not for me lol.
Decided to translate the Fluri section in the 30th anni book for the question, "who is your favorite duo & couple?", voted in by fans and reaching second place overall, because the first and third answers were too adorable. š
Fan answers for their choice:
ā They've been together since childhood and are inseparable. No matter how far apart they are, they're always together in their hearts, which is always heartwarming.
ā I feel like the conflict between the two of them, and their clashing senses of justice, create the focal point in the work of "Vesperia".
ā It's really wonderful how they're not reserved with each other, and how when they're together, they become uncomposed and childish.
Sometimes I have feelings wondering what was really going through Yuriās head when Sodia said Flynn was the Acting Commandant. At the time he couldnāt say or do much because Sodia was snapping at him and he just left as soon as possible (though we do get a split second, blink and youāll miss it shocked look from him when he hears it), but likeā¦ that was part of their dream?
Flynn was literally achieving the highest position he could have at that time. Thereās no way in Yuriās mind it was a simple word of congratulation. If they had been able to talk about it alone I feel like it wouldāve been a lot more detailed regarding their thoughts about it, because really, Flynn went from a lieutenant to captain to Acting CommandantĀ veryĀ quickly. I wish they had gotten to reallyĀ talkĀ about it, because Yuri doesnāt bring it up again.
I know Flynn got his position from Yuriās actions (which Flynn fully recognizes), but it doesnāt matterĀ howĀ he got there in this particular situation. That was a different matter to worry about. What mattered was that heĀ didĀ get there and it opened doors that theyād been trying to open their whole lives. It wasnāt theirĀ finalĀ goal, which was changing things from the inside, butĀ gettingĀ there?Ā ThatĀ quickly? I can only imagine it opened up doors they didnāt expect to be opened when they were still so young.
Itās basically the biggest step forward to being able to go through with the change they wanted. Before, it was a matter of getting to that position/a similar position because until they did, they couldnāt change anything. Now itās in front of them. Again, Iām not referring toĀ howĀ it happened because thatās a different matter in a sense. Itās just like, roll with the punches. It happened so take it.
I really wanna know what he was thinking and if he was relieved in that moment, just because likeā¦ Flynn finally did it. With help, yes, but he finally did it.
Iām just very very sad we donāt really know howĀ eitherĀ of them felt about it at the time it happened. Flynn finally did what heād been striving to do and youāre gonna tell me it was not the most fucking exciting moment in their lives??? Again, I get Sodia being there and having problems with Yuri caused the tension, but Yuri couldāve gone back later or talked to Flynn about it the next morning before he had to head out.
Google drive link for every concept art from Tales of Asteria that the official account ever posted to Tw/tter. They're interesting and point out little details like Stahn's sleeping cap being a different color than his pajamas for the sake of matching Lilith's ribbon.
Attached pictures are just previews; there's 148 of them. I don't think I can tag every single character, so I settled for game titles. I'm pretty sure I got all of them.
I wasn't sure if there was a convenient spot to view all of them like Rays's concept art does, so I put them together.
There's a Memorial Book for Tales of Asteria that has concept art in it. It may or may not have some that they never posted to Tw/tter. It's a very expensive book though so I can't buy it to find out.
man, so I'm going through the PS3 and 360 versions of Vesperia to document all the differences for camera angles and lines... and I forgot how expressive the 360 models are. while playing DE, I kept thinking to myself that it really felt like something was missing in a lot of scenes, and I'm finally remembering just why that is.
the remake had a lot of new nice angles, and it's not all bad by any means. they made some good changes. but they also took away a lot of expression/emotion on model faces or changed the model poses in some scenes that took away emotion, which really sucks for me bc they helped make those parts more impactful and they stuck with me because of things like model poses.
I'm making a whole post to have a single place for everything (for all changes; good, bad, interesting, neutral, whatever), but as some examples of expressions being removed...
(left is 360, right is PS3 which DE is based on.)
Estelle being interested in Rita's outlook on life had her, idk, I guess "hopeful" pose, you could call it?
anger! frustration! stuff not going right! ...and then... blank.
this scene in particular kept bugging me in the DE version bc I couldn't figure out why this scene felt so off to me, but... welp, there it is. Flynn actually looks exasperated at himself in the original! in the remake, he's just... looking in the direction Yuri left. he looks genuinely annoyed with his own bad habits in the original.
I'm actually really sad this was changed because this is one of my favorite Flynn scenes specifically with his model reacting that way. he knows himself so well that sometimes it bugs him. -gives him pats-
and this! this scene! this was another big one that felt like something was missing. I played this game on the 360 many times over when I was younger, so I got really used to the model behavior. so when I played DE, there were a lot of cases where I was like, "isn't smth supposed to... be here?"
in this case it's Estelle not just defending Karol, it's her actually getting mad watching him being berated and physically reacting to it, instead of just standing there scolding the men. like! yeah! have some emotion! have emotion when you defend your little friend from these bullies! scold them and embarrass them in a way that shows you're not playing their game and you're sticking with your friend!
I don't hate the DE version, and it has its merits and better moments. it's also no secret ofc that I prefer the 360 version, as much as that seems to be a rarity. I just think scenes like these shouldn't have had their models/expressions changed to... honestly, nothing. nothing but the default.
it's been really nice seeing the old models again though. š
I also think it's very funny that the 360 version managed to cement itself into my long term memory so well that I genuinely felt like stuff was missing when I replayed the DE many years later, sort of like "wasn't that like this?" Estelle in the last example especially, I was so sure she got angry and pointed at the guys while defending Karol.
(used YT videos for screenshots, from here and here.)
yuri's rays spirit gear is almost identically designed to young jiri's outfit (save for some embroidery and yuri's general outfit design) and i had an awakening over it
the open top and bottom, the loose sides of the outfit, generally loose fitting, similar boots with similar length heels, the corset and how they both have an inward design on them, e-e-even the hand posing is slightly similar (and not just in a "reference sketch" way like the feet positioning)???
listen I have no insight on how the Rays artist designed this or if they knew about the novels, but that's some next level, top tier continuity that might not even have been on purpose. props to them if it was totally intentional, but also props to them if it was a total accident.
local yuri keeping his foster mama's legacy alive ššš local yuri having an outfit just like she used to when she was young ššš
Translated Toriumi's interview from "Tales of Chronicle from 1995 to 2010: Tales of 15th Anniversary"!
(Scanner preferred to remain anonymous.)
Purple text (Toriumi): Because I'm playing a role that is true-to-life, it feels like my alter ego and is a role that I'm very comfortable with.
--
Q: First, please tell us how you first encountered the āTales ofā series.
T: My first audition for it was for āVesperiaā. I was asked to take the audition. However, there were a lot of people around me who had appeared in previous works, so I had heard a lot about it. Of course, I also knew that it was a very popular series.
--
Q: You probably saw Yuri's illustrations and characterization at the audition. What impression did you have of him?
T: He was the main character, but he didnāt seem like the main character. My impression of him now, having played the role for many years, is a little different from the impression I had of him back then. His basic character design seemed like he was an outlaw, very annoying, and foul-mouthed. But when I played the role, he turned out to be a surprisingly good guy (laughs).
--
Q: What is your impression now?
T: Letās see. Now, I donāt see him as the dark type or the outlaw type. If anything, he feels like a āgood older brotherā. Also, Iām very conscious of the strength he has when he makes up his mind. Thereās not much you can do about only having the initial basic characterization, as far as understanding a characterās personality goes. But when I auditioned, I thought it felt like he might be a bit more twisted. Yuriās dark side and peeved side only comes out when heās around the knights or something evil, right? But at first, I thought he would be that way just in general. But in reality, he has a very strong sense of justice and is a strong-minded person. I guess you could say he's quick to make up his mind. I gradually began to feel like, once you make up your mind, you have the strength to accomplish things even on your own.
--
Q: You also achieved a second consecutive victory in the character popularity poll!
T: Thank you very much! I donāt particularly worry about rankings in popularity polls or anything like that, but the work itself has been highly praised, and the popularity of the character within the workā¦ is simply because Yuri is cool, not because Iām cool or anything like that. As someone involved, I am truly happy to receive such praise.
--
Q: Rita and Raven are also ranked, but Karolā¦
T: Thatās true. Itās unfortunate that heās always outside the ranked range. Karol is cute though. After all, he is the boss of the guild.
--
Q: What is your impression of the heroine, Estelle?
T: At first, she really starts off as a naive princess who knows nothing about the world, but in the end, she has to shoulder various heavy destinies. She's one of the characters who gets stronger and stronger as she travels with everyone, and you can visibly see her growing. I think Estelle and Karol are probably the characters whose growth is most obvious. So I get the impression that she has both strength and cuteness, as well as a very feminine side. Sometimes sheās a bit air-headed (laughs).
--
Q: What about Judith? Her more mature conversations with Yuri were interesting. It was like they were reading between the lines.
T: Judy is younger than Yuri, but sheās the oldest female character. So, when Yuri is with Estelle, he has an older brother-like side. With Judy, they donāt tell each other their true intentions, but they have very mature conversations, as if they understand each otherās intentions. It doesnāt feel like a conversation between a 21 year old and a 19 year old. It totally feels like theyāre 30 years old. It suddenly becomes more adult-like (laughs).
--
Q: Thatās true (laughs). Itād be well-matched with a stylish bar.
T: Itās totally like a conversation they had while drinking. They donāt say things like āI was thinking of inviting you out laterā or āI know, but itās fineā, but rather, like theyāre probing each other (laughs). And so, they both get up and leave their seats without saying anything.
--
Q: So, can you tell us about a scene or line from the story that left a lasting impression on you?
T: I think Yuri's position in the story of "Vesperia" was to give his companions a supportive push. Each member has something theyāre burdened with, and when they take a step forward, they give each other a push forward and lift them up. The scenes with interactions that encourage that kind of growth have left a strong impression on me.
--
Q: The scene where he killed Ragou was also memorable.
T: I think the reason why Yuri is so popular is because of the strength of his decisiveness, or rather, his unwavering nature. It's the strength to follow through on the justice that heās decided on. Also, thereās a scene where he strongly scolds Karol. I feel like itās a strength of Yuriās, being able to reprimand people like that, that helps him stand out.
--
Q: With a movie being released as well as a drama CD, āVesperiaāsā momentum is still going strong.
T: Thatās true, and Iām grateful for it. In the drama CD, there was a scene where Yuri imitated Karol, and Judy imitated Estelle, which was hellish (laughs). Also, regarding the movie, I was very happy to be given the opportunity to be part of something that hadn't been done before in other titles, and it left a lasting impression on me.
TL Note: Toriumi uses a term meaning āto developā, but I donāt know that he means he helped with the production development of the movie. Just in case he wasnāt involved in development the way we think of it, I used, ābe part ofā. I believe heās referring to it as having helped develop the movie by way of voicing Yuri, thus was part of its development/creation, but I just want to avoid details being misunderstood. Iām not sure if he was or was not involved in any other specifics of its production as we think of it. Again, he may have been, but just in case he wasnāt, I want to specify this to avoid misinformation/misunderstanding, while still being clear on the term he used and why I phrased this the way I did. If I ever come across confirmation one way or another, Iāll update this.
--
Q: So then, the final question: What does the āTales ofā series mean to you?
T: Like a ring, itās something I always wear. It's been that way since "Vesperia" started, and I really think itās something Iāll always be carrying with me. It may be something that is "always there". Yuri is a role I really enjoy playing. Also, it's very easy (laughs). Although he does kill people, he does it to protect the world. The substance of the character is very true-to-life and is like my alter ego. Itās a role Iām very comfortable with.
Translated Toriumi's interview from the Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2 Official Complete Guide!
(Scanner preferred to remain anonymous.)
--
Q: What do you keep in mind when playing Yuri?
T: In a sense, itās about whatās fitting. There was an audition for "Vesperia" and I played Flynn and Yuri. When I auditioned for Yuri, I was first told to play the role however I wanted to, and so when I played it the way I wanted, I was told "just like that." Right from the start, it was exactly the same as the image of Yuri that I had in mind, so there isn't much that I need to be careful of. So maybe itās just easy for me to play the role.
--
Q: So you were a good match for the role.
T: I was glad. It seemed to match the character's image, so it didnāt feel like any trouble.
--
Q: Are there any changes you've made since "Vesperia"?
T: "Vesperia" is a recent title, so I don't think there's any difference from when I first began playing him. It's been less than four months since I recorded "Vesperia," so I think I was able to play the character without forgetting anything (TL note: he's referring to playing Yuri in RM2 here). Also, this is a digression, but for some reason, I often play roles where I have a dog with me. It happened with "Naruto," "Persona 3," and "Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time," so I have a connection with roles where I have a dog with me.
--
Q: It seems like it would be possible to trade positions there (laughs).
T: Thatās right. Iām a dog voice actor now (laughs). There are a lot of dogs and no cats, even though I donāt have one myself.
--
Q: Please tell us if there are any lines or scenes that left an impression on you.
TL note: (Again, in RM2).
T: Actually, he didn't talk much this time. Well, he still has Estelle with him (laughs). In "Vesperia," Yuri often played the role of attracting people and encouraging them, and though he would say it was annoying, he stuck with them until the end. All things considered, heās a good kid. I think he's a good big brother this time too. I like how he leads by example rather than by words.
--
Q: What did you think of the battle voice?
A: I'm a professional voice actor, so please know that I don't bite (laughs). Also, I think that the main characters up until now have used the "Majinken" (TL note: Demon Fang/Demon Fist), but I didn't have it. I'm the second person to do this after Hiyama-san (TL note: Veigue/Rebirth's main character's voice actor).
TL Note: My understanding of this exchange is that Toriumi is saying he doesnāt bite because he was asked a question about something he wasnāt able to be part of, due to Yuri not having any form of Demon Fang. I haven't played RM2, so I'm not familiar with what "battle voice" is in this regard if it's specific.
--
Q: That's certainly true!
T: Iām not in it yet. Many of the voice actors around me have appeared in the series, and when I mentioned the recording of "Vesperia," I was asked, "you said Majinken, right?ā. I told them, "I didn't say it", but they said, "you [totally/had to have] said it". But I really didn't say it. So, next time I have the chance, I'd definitely like to say, "Majinken". I hope I can say it in the future, so thatās something to look forward to.
--
Q: When you think of the āTales ofā series, what comes to mind?
T: Itās a work with a long history thatās been going on for a long time. It's a title that everyone knows. It was my first time auditioning for the āTales ofā series, but I thought, "it came for me too" (laughs). This is a behind-the-scenes story, but there are all kinds of auditions. Sometimes they ask a person to audition, and sometimes they ask a person to audition for a certain role, and sometimes the agency contacts you and asks for you to be the one for the role. Also, the prerequisite for the āTales ofā series is that the main character (voice actor) has not appeared in previous titles.
--
Q: As the series has continued, the number of participants has grown.
T: Thatās right. Because of that, being included in such a historic work makes me feel like I should say, "pardon me" and "I look forward to working with you."
--
Q: It's been 13 years since the first game, "Phantasia", was released.
T: It's been 13 years since its debut, so it's the same as how long Iāve been a voice actor. If I think back to when I was born, I made my debut when I graduated from elementary school and entered junior high school (laughs).
--
Q: There are quite a lot of works, and when a new work comes out, the next work is announced.
T: Right, right. When we were recording, auditions for the next title had already started. But I think it's amazing that even after all this time, the quality hasnāt dropped. I donāt know much about game consoles, but compared to how it used to be, thereās simply a lot more involved with it. There's a lot of dialogue, and when we were working on "Vesperia," it was said that it was the most dialogue to date. It's almost fully voiced. I think it must be tough for the character designers and the scriptwriters.
--
Q: Lastly, please give a message to your fans.
T: With all the main characters from previous games being present, I think it's a very voluminous game. I hope you enjoy playing it. See ya later (laughs).
TL Note: I believe the (laughs) at the end is because he's imitating Yuriās speech/word choice.
Translated the Q&A section of the Tales of Vesperia Official Scenario Book, published in 2010!
(Scanner preferred to remain anonymous.)
Scenario Q&A
We invited fans to ask questions about āVesperiaā for the staff to answer. Don't miss the facts revealed here!
1.
By: Chaiko (female).
Q: Why is Flynn so friendly with Estelle? I'm curious about what happened between them!
A: The specifics of how they met are unknown, but when Flynn began serving at the castle of the Imperial Capital, Estelle was already in a house arrest-like situation. Estelle wasnāt able to make real friends and felt lonely, so Flynn tried his best to treat her as ruggedly honest and sincerely as he could (while the other knights consistently treated her like a child). He was one of the few people (and someone in her same generation) who continued to treat her like a human being. That must have made Estelle feel very comfortable with him.
Image: Flynn is so important to Estelle that she instinctively embraced him when they met again.
2.
By: Nabeyaki Udon (male), Mugetsu (female), and many others.
Q: Please tell us how old Duke was when he was a knight. Also, how did Duke and Elsifur meet, and what led to their friendship?
A: Duke was once a member of the Knights, but such records have been erased. Thus, his precise age is not known. Unable to adapt to Imperial society at a young age, he chose to travel alone in the dangerous outside world, where he met Elucifer. Their deep compassion for their shared world led the two of them to forming a friendship that transcended race.
3.
By: Pamphlet (male), Yutou (female), and many others.
Q: In the skit, āAbout the Elite Guardā, it was suggested that the large scale of responsibility and pressure is what caused Alexei to behave the way he did, but what made him go to such lengths? Considering his strength, it feels like something huge must have happenedā¦ Also, what was the meaning of Alexeiās final tears? āTears of realizing he was the biggest jester of allā or ātears of regret for everything he had done up until thenā? Please tell us the meaning from your perspective as the developers!
A: From the outside, Alexei appears to be nothing more than an arrogant villain, but he was once a truly respectable person. While pursuing his goals, he gradually began looking down on others who couldnāt keep up and was no longer picky about his methods. Unfortunately, nobody ever questioned his methods, and nobody pointed it out to him. To the bitter end, he thought he was doing what he had to do; but at the very last moment, what should have been a success, in reality, was the situation he least wanted. He shed tears of despair as he realized who had truly been the foolish one.
4.
By: Today I'm a Gentleman (male), Wild Rabbit (male).
Q: Why does Repede dislike Estelle (not that he hates her, but maybe he just doesn't like her?)? Does he avoid her because heās actually an Entelexeia? Considering he doesnāt get ferocious when in dense aer, it seems like maybe heās becoming an Entelxeia who can adapt to aer.
A: Repede is, after all, a (bit of a perceptive) dog. Yuri jokes about it in a weird way, but he is a dog. At first, he avoided Estelle because he doesnāt like being teased, and he doesnāt like people who are not down to earth.
5.
By: Zakuro (female), Tissue (female), and many others.
Q: The members of Brave Vesperia were Yuri, Repede, Karol, and Judith; but after Part 2 ended, did the other party members join Brave Vesperia? I've been curious, so please let me know!
A: The official members of the guild remain three people and one pet until the very end. However, everyone in the party is a ācomradeā to āBrave Vesperiaā. In their hearts, all of them are "members." As well as being the name of their guild, "Brave Vesperia" is a term that also represents the bonds between them.
6.
By: Y (female), Komochizuki (female).
Q: How did Raven kidnap Estelle at Myorzo? It was said that he used Estelle's power to activate the core of the warp blastia, but did he manage to woo Estelle?
A: Itās possible he used some sort of tool to take away Estelleās freedom, similar to what Alexei used, that had the ability to control her and use her powers to activate the warp blastia.
7.
By: Ron (female), Haru (male), and many others.
Q: In the ending, all of the blastia are lost, but Raven's blastia heart is not lost and he continues to live. Is this because the energy powering his blastia heart is not the aer, but Raven's own life force?
A: Thatās right. Incidentally, the blastia heart and he himself interpolate with each other to maintain their functions, but it's not a perpetual motion machine. He himself has to eat to replenish it. In that regard, it's the same as a flesh-and-blood heart.
Image: Raven says that the power of the spirits seems to be affecting his blastia heart, and heās in good health.
8.
By: Sip of Tea (female), Mito (female), and many others.
Q: The tone and attitude of Raven and Schwann are completely different, but which one is the real one? Also, Raven decided to live as "Raven", so I'm curious about what will happen to the Schwann Brigade in that case. I was also interested in the illustration in the ending credits, where he stands in front of the knights dressed as "Raven".
A: His tone changes depending on his position at the time. However, since he chose to live as Raven, thatās probably closer to his true self.
After defeating the Adephagos, the Empire and the guilds decided to work together, so Raven will make the best use of his influential positions on both sides. In the ending illustration, we see not only the Knights, but guild members there alongside them, suggesting that a mixed squad has been formed.
Illustration: Kazuyoshi Yaginuma.
9.
By: Sai (female), Komai3 (female), and many others.
Q: Regarding the blastia hearts that Yeager and Raven have, were there any other people besides them involved in experiments for blastia hearts? Also, is there a reason why Alexei chose these two?
A: Unfortunately, most of Alexei's past actions are shrouded in mystery.
10.
By: Komiya (female), Akime (female), and many others.
Q: In the skit "About the City of the Waning Moon," itās asked, "is Zagi a descendant of the Children of the Full Moon?" But is he really a descendant of the Children of the Full Moon? Please tell us the truth!
A: He could be, since he has the same pink hair as Estelle and the residents of the City of the Waning Moon, but considering the kind of person he is, maybe he just dyed it...
11.
By: Wonder Reporter (female), Spice (male), and many others.
Zagi modified his left arm into a blastia, but did he do it himself? Also, does Zagi die in the end? He was able to survive even after falling from Hercules, and fighting the Giganto Monster by himself on Mount Temza, so it would seem like he might have survivedā¦
TL Note: Zagi fighting the Giganto Monster on Mount Temza happens in a sidequest, which is what is being referred to here.
A: He is an assassin hired by Leviathan's Claw, so the blastia arm was probably offered by Yeager via Ruins Gate. It's unknown whether the final transaction was really reasonable... As for his final moments, his corpse was never confirmed, so in that sense we should say that his life or death is unknown.
Image: Zagi's corpse was never found after his fall from Tarqaron.
12.
By: Kinasu (female), Yottan (female), and many others.
Q: Will Patty grow back into her original appearance in the future, or will her growth stop? Is there any information regarding this?
A: Patty's current appearance is the result of a side effect of Amrita, but we think it is likely that she will grow up like a regular person going forward.
13.
By: Tissue (female).
Q: The apatheia, which was the power source of Hercules, said "thank you" at the end, but whose apatheia was it? Could it have been Eluciferās...?
A: Since Duke wasn't looking for it, we at least know it wasnāt Eluciferās. On that note, this is the Entelexeia who was forced to be used as an apatheia.
Image: The appearance of the Entelexeia who became an apatheia is unknown, but given his voice, it sounds male.
14.
By: Sososo (male), Saito@ (male).
Q: At the end, Barbos told Yuri, "One day, youāll make great enemies in this world." Will Yuri's suggestion to get rid of the blastia lead to someone holding a grudge against him later?
A: Barbos' words are not a concrete prediction, but rather, a kind of warning to Yuri about his way of life. If people knew that it was Yuri and his friends who got rid of the blastia, there would certainly be people who would resent them.
15.
By: Star's Tail (male), Kinasu (female), and many others.
Q: Duke had complete understanding of the Enduring Shrine of Zaude, but yet Alexei's understanding was incomplete. How did each of them obtain their knowledge about Zaude?
A: Alexei gained his knowledge through fragments of a mishmash of ancient documents left behind by the Empire. Because of this, his understanding was in many ways incomplete. His own desires led to misinterpretation. On the other hand, Duke (who may have had firsthand knowledge at the time), gained accurate knowledge from the Entelexeia.
TL Note: The term used for mishmash can also mean miscellany, jumble, and mixture. It sounds like Alexei got his information from various (and possibly in some cases not completely correct), fragmented documents (so lacking information on some documents because of not being whole/full), which partially resulted in his faulty information - on top of his own desires causing him to read the intention of those documents in a way he wanted it to be, and not what it actually meant.
16.
By: Kome (female), Roku (female), and many others.
TL Note: Put āRokuā as a name in this case, but the kanji means ārecordā as in āto recordā, but Iām not sure if thatās what the asker was going for, so I kept it as Roku.
Q: Does Alexei come from a commoner family or a noble family?
A: He himself comes from a noble family. Back then, no matter oneās merit, it was impossible for a commoner to become a leader in the empire.
17.
By: Sasami (female), Mido (female).
Q: In the sub-event of Repedeās marking showdown, after the battle between Repede and Petite Wolf is settled, Repede obtains the attachment "Meat on the Bone". Does that mean Petite Wolf has become meat on the bone? I'm really curious because it didn't come up at the end of the sub-event!
A: We don't think that's the case... (laughs) He probably just disappeared to somewhere gracefully.
TL Note: The term for "graceful" here can also mean noble, gallant, brave, or sportsmanlike. Basically, it sounds like Petite Wolf took the loss respectfully and bowed out.
Image: The bone-in meat is not the remains of Petite Wolf, so you can wear it without worry.
18.
By: Tomoru 12 (female).
Q: Please tell us the official name of the empire!
A: The Empire is literally its official name. Since itās the only nation in the world, the common noun is used as the proper noun.
19.
By: Sakura Hina (female), Brambling Bird (male), and many others.
Q: At the beginning of the story, the moment Estelle peeks inside the desk in Rita's room in Aspio, the screen goes black and Estelle freezes. What was inside of it?
A: Itās probably whatever you imagined it is.
TL Note: Theyāre basically saying thereās no real answer, so it can be whatever the player imagines it could be.
20.
By: Akiyuki (female), Tomoya (male), and many others.
Q: In the world of āVesperiaā, mana and spirits appear, but are there any connections to the worlds of other games in the āTales ofā series?
A: As a series, there are links at a keyword level, but it does not particularly mean they are set in the same world or share a history.
21.
By: Shu (male), Neko (female),and many others.
Q: Romance between the hero and heroine is a custom of the Tales of series, but it was not seen in āVesperiaā. Will the relationship between Yuri and Estelle progress after the ending?
A: We can't say for sure whether the future will be discussed or not, so weāll leave it to your imagination.
22.
By: ASTRIA (male), Riku (female), and many others.
Q: Were there any settings, story developments, or sub-events that were scrapped? If so, what were the contents?
A: There are a lot of ideas that were scrapped. There were plans for completely different developments. We wonāt mention the material here because it would be rude, but for example, there was an idea to create a giant special effects-like robot.
TL Note: The literal phrase for "it would be rude" is āit wouldnāt be smart" to mention.
23.
By: Itacchi (female), Yokoyan (male), and many others.
Translated the Q&A section of the Tales of Vesperia Official Scenario Book, published in 2010!
(Scanner preferred to remain anonymous.)
Scenario Q&A
We invited fans to ask questions about āVesperiaā for the staff to answer. Don't miss the facts revealed here!
1.
By: Chaiko (female).
Q: Why is Flynn so friendly with Estelle? I'm curious about what happened between them!
A: The specifics of how they met are unknown, but when Flynn began serving at the castle of the Imperial Capital, Estelle was already in a house arrest-like situation. Estelle wasnāt able to make real friends and felt lonely, so Flynn tried his best to treat her as ruggedly honest and sincerely as he could (while the other knights consistently treated her like a child). He was one of the few people (and someone in her same generation) who continued to treat her like a human being. That must have made Estelle feel very comfortable with him.
Image: Flynn is so important to Estelle that she instinctively embraced him when they met again.
2.
By: Nabeyaki Udon (male), Mugetsu (female), and many others.
Q: Please tell us how old Duke was when he was a knight. Also, how did Duke and Elsifur meet, and what led to their friendship?
A: Duke was once a member of the Knights, but such records have been erased. Thus, his precise age is not known. Unable to adapt to Imperial society at a young age, he chose to travel alone in the dangerous outside world, where he met Elucifer. Their deep compassion for their shared world led the two of them to forming a friendship that transcended race.
3.
By: Pamphlet (male), Yutou (female), and many others.
Q: In the skit, āAbout the Elite Guardā, it was suggested that the large scale of responsibility and pressure is what caused Alexei to behave the way he did, but what made him go to such lengths? Considering his strength, it feels like something huge must have happenedā¦ Also, what was the meaning of Alexeiās final tears? āTears of realizing he was the biggest jester of allā or ātears of regret for everything he had done up until thenā? Please tell us the meaning from your perspective as the developers!
A: From the outside, Alexei appears to be nothing more than an arrogant villain, but he was once a truly respectable person. While pursuing his goals, he gradually began looking down on others who couldnāt keep up and was no longer picky about his methods. Unfortunately, nobody ever questioned his methods, and nobody pointed it out to him. To the bitter end, he thought he was doing what he had to do; but at the very last moment, what should have been a success, in reality, was the situation he least wanted. He shed tears of despair as he realized who had truly been the foolish one.
4.
By: Today I'm a Gentleman (male), Wild Rabbit (male).
Q: Why does Repede dislike Estelle (not that he hates her, but maybe he just doesn't like her?)? Does he avoid her because heās actually an Entelexeia? Considering he doesnāt get ferocious when in dense aer, it seems like maybe heās becoming an Entelxeia who can adapt to aer.
A: Repede is, after all, a (bit of a perceptive) dog. Yuri jokes about it in a weird way, but he is a dog. At first, he avoided Estelle because he doesnāt like being teased, and he doesnāt like people who are not down to earth.
5.
By: Zakuro (female), Tissue (female), and many others.
Q: The members of Brave Vesperia were Yuri, Repede, Karol, and Judith; but after Part 2 ended, did the other party members join Brave Vesperia? I've been curious, so please let me know!
A: The official members of the guild remain three people and one pet until the very end. However, everyone in the party is a ācomradeā to āBrave Vesperiaā. In their hearts, all of them are "members." As well as being the name of their guild, "Brave Vesperia" is a term that also represents the bonds between them.
6.
By: Y (female), Komochizuki (female).
Q: How did Raven kidnap Estelle at Myorzo? It was said that he used Estelle's power to activate the core of the warp blastia, but did he manage to woo Estelle?
A: Itās possible he used some sort of tool to take away Estelleās freedom, similar to what Alexei used, that had the ability to control her and use her powers to activate the warp blastia.
7.
By: Ron (female), Haru (male), and many others.
Q: In the ending, all of the blastia are lost, but Raven's blastia heart is not lost and he continues to live. Is this because the energy powering his blastia heart is not the aer, but Raven's own life force?
A: Thatās right. Incidentally, the blastia heart and he himself interpolate with each other to maintain their functions, but it's not a perpetual motion machine. He himself has to eat to replenish it. In that regard, it's the same as a flesh-and-blood heart.
Image: Raven says that the power of the spirits seems to be affecting his blastia heart, and heās in good health.
8.
By: Sip of Tea (female), Mito (female), and many others.
Q: The tone and attitude of Raven and Schwann are completely different, but which one is the real one? Also, Raven decided to live as "Raven", so I'm curious about what will happen to the Schwann Brigade in that case. I was also interested in the illustration in the ending credits, where he stands in front of the knights dressed as "Raven".
A: His tone changes depending on his position at the time. However, since he chose to live as Raven, thatās probably closer to his true self.
After defeating the Adephagos, the Empire and the guilds decided to work together, so Raven will make the best use of his influential positions on both sides. In the ending illustration, we see not only the Knights, but guild members there alongside them, suggesting that a mixed squad has been formed.
Illustration: Kazuyoshi Yaginuma.
9.
By: Sai (female), Komai3 (female), and many others.
Q: Regarding the blastia hearts that Yeager and Raven have, were there any other people besides them involved in experiments for blastia hearts? Also, is there a reason why Alexei chose these two?
A: Unfortunately, most of Alexei's past actions are shrouded in mystery.
10.
By: Komiya (female), Akime (female), and many others.
Q: In the skit "About the City of the Waning Moon," itās asked, "is Zagi a descendant of the Children of the Full Moon?" But is he really a descendant of the Children of the Full Moon? Please tell us the truth!
A: He could be, since he has the same pink hair as Estelle and the residents of the City of the Waning Moon, but considering the kind of person he is, maybe he just dyed it...
11.
By: Wonder Reporter (female), Spice (male), and many others.
Zagi modified his left arm into a blastia, but did he do it himself? Also, does Zagi die in the end? He was able to survive even after falling from Hercules, and fighting the Giganto Monster by himself on Mount Temza, so it would seem like he might have survivedā¦
TL Note: Zagi fighting the Giganto Monster on Mount Temza happens in a sidequest, which is what is being referred to here.
A: He is an assassin hired by Leviathan's Claw, so the blastia arm was probably offered by Yeager via Ruins Gate. It's unknown whether the final transaction was really reasonable... As for his final moments, his corpse was never confirmed, so in that sense we should say that his life or death is unknown.
Image: Zagi's corpse was never found after his fall from Tarqaron.
12.
By: Kinasu (female), Yottan (female), and many others.
Q: Will Patty grow back into her original appearance in the future, or will her growth stop? Is there any information regarding this?
A: Patty's current appearance is the result of a side effect of Amrita, but we think it is likely that she will grow up like a regular person going forward.
13.
By: Tissue (female).
Q: The apatheia, which was the power source of Hercules, said "thank you" at the end, but whose apatheia was it? Could it have been Eluciferās...?
A: Since Duke wasn't looking for it, we at least know it wasnāt Eluciferās. On that note, this is the Entelexeia who was forced to be used as an apatheia.
Image: The appearance of the Entelexeia who became an apatheia is unknown, but given his voice, it sounds male.
14.
By: Sososo (male), Saito@ (male).
Q: At the end, Barbos told Yuri, "One day, youāll make great enemies in this world." Will Yuri's suggestion to get rid of the blastia lead to someone holding a grudge against him later?
A: Barbos' words are not a concrete prediction, but rather, a kind of warning to Yuri about his way of life. If people knew that it was Yuri and his friends who got rid of the blastia, there would certainly be people who would resent them.
15.
By: Star's Tail (male), Kinasu (female), and many others.
Q: Duke had complete understanding of the Enduring Shrine of Zaude, but yet Alexei's understanding was incomplete. How did each of them obtain their knowledge about Zaude?
A: Alexei gained his knowledge through fragments of a mishmash of ancient documents left behind by the Empire. Because of this, his understanding was in many ways incomplete. His own desires led to misinterpretation. On the other hand, Duke (who may have had firsthand knowledge at the time), gained accurate knowledge from the Entelexeia.
TL Note: The term used for mishmash can also mean miscellany, jumble, and mixture. It sounds like Alexei got his information from various (and possibly in some cases not completely correct), fragmented documents (so lacking information on some documents because of not being whole/full), which partially resulted in his faulty information - on top of his own desires causing him to read the intention of those documents in a way he wanted it to be, and not what it actually meant.
16.
By: Kome (female), Roku (female), and many others.
TL Note: Put āRokuā as a name in this case, but the kanji means ārecordā as in āto recordā, but Iām not sure if thatās what the asker was going for, so I kept it as Roku.
Q: Does Alexei come from a commoner family or a noble family?
A: He himself comes from a noble family. Back then, no matter oneās merit, it was impossible for a commoner to become a leader in the empire.
17.
By: Sasami (female), Mido (female).
Q: In the sub-event of Repedeās marking showdown, after the battle between Repede and Petite Wolf is settled, Repede obtains the attachment "Meat on the Bone". Does that mean Petite Wolf has become meat on the bone? I'm really curious because it didn't come up at the end of the sub-event!
A: We don't think that's the case... (laughs) He probably just disappeared to somewhere gracefully.
TL Note: The term for "graceful" here can also mean noble, gallant, brave, or sportsmanlike. Basically, it sounds like Petite Wolf took the loss respectfully and bowed out.
Image: The bone-in meat is not the remains of Petite Wolf, so you can wear it without worry.
18.
By: Tomoru 12 (female).
Q: Please tell us the official name of the empire!
A: The Empire is literally its official name. Since itās the only nation in the world, the common noun is used as the proper noun.
19.
By: Sakura Hina (female), Brambling Bird (male), and many others.
Q: At the beginning of the story, the moment Estelle peeks inside the desk in Rita's room in Aspio, the screen goes black and Estelle freezes. What was inside of it?
A: Itās probably whatever you imagined it is.
TL Note: Theyāre basically saying thereās no real answer, so it can be whatever the player imagines it could be.
20.
By: Akiyuki (female), Tomoya (male), and many others.
Q: In the world of āVesperiaā, mana and spirits appear, but are there any connections to the worlds of other games in the āTales ofā series?
A: As a series, there are links at a keyword level, but it does not particularly mean they are set in the same world or share a history.
21.
By: Shu (male), Neko (female),and many others.
Q: Romance between the hero and heroine is a custom of the Tales of series, but it was not seen in āVesperiaā. Will the relationship between Yuri and Estelle progress after the ending?
A: We can't say for sure whether the future will be discussed or not, so weāll leave it to your imagination.
22.
By: ASTRIA (male), Riku (female), and many others.
Q: Were there any settings, story developments, or sub-events that were scrapped? If so, what were the contents?
A: There are a lot of ideas that were scrapped. There were plans for completely different developments. We wonāt mention the material here because it would be rude, but for example, there was an idea to create a giant special effects-like robot.
TL Note: The literal phrase for "it would be rude" is āit wouldnāt be smart" to mention.
23.
By: Itacchi (female), Yokoyan (male), and many others.
He always wears a fluttering, dark purple cape, and has the mark of a prestigious knight order on his back.
---
Yuri's best friend and an Imperial Knight with much promise for the future. Born as a commoner, he has a strong wish for law & order and fairness, and has gained respect by putting this into practice himself. He recognizes Yuriās merits better than anyone else, and has a strong desire to discuss their ideals together again. However, he fears Yuri may deviate from the law in carrying out his convictions. At the same time, he also feels the limitations of the law and idealism, and eventually seeks a way to reform the world in the image of "Brave Vesperia."
---
Lapis Lazuli Knight, Scarlet Dream
People shouldn't judge others by deciding what is right and wrong based on their own personal opinions!
I have come here entrusted with delivering a letter written by Prince Ioder!
We are knights. Knights who protect the citizens with their swords! Knights who use their swords to protect the citizens!
As a knight, I cannot overlook your crimes.
Quote Descriptions:
āI have come here entrusted with delivering a letter written by Prince Ioder!ā: At the risk of his own life, a cry made at the Den of Guilds, Dahngrest, to put an end to a clash between the Knights and the guilds plotted by the Council.
āPeople shouldn't judge others by deciding what is right and wrong based on their own personal opinions!ā: His counterargument to Yuri's interpretation of his own actions.
āAs a knight, I cannot overlook your crimes.ā: His stern stance on Yuriās assassination of Cumore.
āWe are knights. Knights who protect the citizens with their swords! Knights who use their swords to protect the citizens!ā: A shout to encourage his subordinates as they aid Yuri and the others, as they invade the Imperial Capital to rescue Estelle.
Profile:
He believed that justice was something that everyone could recognize as absolute. He believed that if one adhered to justice, a fair society could definitely be built. That's why Flynn became a knight, a symbol of justice. Above all, his honesty and sincerity earned him the respect of many. And, because he was similarly born and raised in the Lower Quarter, he thought he would be able to talk about his dreams with his friend Yuri again.
He wasn't sure how much of his feelings he had been able to convey to Yuri. The reality was that his friend had chosen to follow the path to his ideals not with the knights, but with the guilds. In a violent and vulgar society made by people who had abandoned order. He was lost for words when his friend was swallowed up in such a place, taking Estellise with him.
He felt a pain of betrayal as Yuri unhesitantly turned his back on the path taken by Flynn. And no matter how much he tried to restrain Yuriās own version of "justice" while still protecting the law, Yuriās hands dyed with blood, Yuri showed no sign of stopping. On the contrary, while Flynn hesitated due to the contradictions of the lawās structure, Yuri didnāt hesitate to corner him about it.
āāāWhy should you bear the guilt? Why does it have to be you?āāā
Although he denounced his friend's unhesitating words as sophistry, he may have wanted to cry at the rejection as Yuri walked away, rather than rebuke Yuri for his crime.
But his friend said, āitās because youāre righteous that I can walk this dirty path.ā
The strength Yuri wields is not the righteousness he wished for. Yet, there is a definite "righteousness" there. Yuriās actions have no virtue to be praised. However, there is a "resoluteness" in his heart. Because of that, Flynn will stake his pride as a knight on justice and virtue that no one will be ashamed of. He will swear by the bloody judgment his friend had to bear the responsibility of, and protect absolute righteousness.
The Lapis Lazuli Knight raised his sword to his friend's sword, demonstrating his own resolve, and on the crimson-dyed earth, they confirmed their paths. Their paths donāt overlap each other at all, but they circle around each other, both paths aiming for the same light. He felt proud that, contrary to the glorious blade that reflected his own figure, adorned in gorgeous armor, there always existed the face of a friend who carried with him another manner of justice.
Translated Yuri's profile from the Tales series' 15th and 20th anniversary books (the 20th reuses the content in 15's)!
TL notes:
The term used for Yuri going down a "dark" path can also mean ill-boding, unlikely to succeed, hopeless, and/or unpromising.
The phrase used for "takes on the pain" can also mean "to get hurt feelings". Essentially, Yuri's path is making him suffer, but he's doing what he's doing to protect other people even if it emotionally hurts him.
The term used for "soft" regarding his fingers can also mean "gentle", "tender" and "supple" among other things. Yuri's physique is often described in official media as being flexible and quick and such, but the surrounding context of the paragraph is expressing that he's a kindhearted person. The sentence itself, however, is describing Yuri's hands in a physical sense, so I stuck with "soft", but I wanted to include the other potential meanings of the term in a note here since they also apply to Yuri.
(Scanner preferred to remain anonymous.)
Original JP + TL under the cut.
Yuri Lowell
CV: Kosuke Toriumi
Gender: Male
Age: 21 years old
Height: 180cm
Hometown: Zaphias
Class: Former Knight
Initial Title: Lower Quarter Youth
Blastia: Left wrist bangle
First person pronoun: Ore
The Sword That Knows Sin
It cuts down crime that the law cannot punish, secretly becoming dampened in blood. The hand that carries it out is his left hand, which is his dominant hand.
Exposed chest
Yuriās manner of dress is bold with a loose fitting jacket with his chest exposed, bringing out a manly sexiness through his bare skin.
Proof of Conviction
The blastia he received when he left the Knights. It shines dully on his wrist, like a memory of the youthful ambition of those days.
---
A young man living in the Lower Quarter of āāthe Imperial Capital of Zaphias. He was once a member of the Imperial Knights, but left due to experiencing a gap between his own ideals and that of the Knightsā. Feeling limited by the countryās government, he spent day after day with no outlet for his discontent. After meeting Princess Estelle, he confronts the corruption of his country and, while pursuing his own "justice," finds himself in the midst of turmoil alongside Flynn, an elite member of the Knights and the embodiment of the law.
---
As āJusticeā Commands
Are you afraid of me?
You carry the burdens I canāt carry.
Iāllā¦ let you rest now.
Iāve already made my choice. Did you forget?
Quote Descriptions:
āAre you afraid of me?ā: These were the words Yuri spoke to Estelle after she learned of his crimes in Mantaic, the city of water and golden sand.
āYou carry the burdens I canāt carry.ā: A conversation had with Flynn about āachievementsā in Aurnion, the land of dreams.
āIāllā¦ let you rest now.ā: At the Sword Stair in Zaphias Castle, these were the words he spoke to Estelle, who was being controlled by Alexei, as if to perform her last rites.
āIāve already made my choice. Did you forget?ā Yuri goes to Zaphias Castle to rescue Estelle, and once again shows his resolve to Flynn.
Profile:
When was it that he dreamed of building a country that supported its people, and knocked on the Knightsā door? The ideals he had in mind were tragically shattered in the face of stereotypical reality, so Yuri removed the armor heād gotten used to and went to live in a corner of the Lower Quarter. Unable to escape from years of corruption, the vast empire harbors all sorts of rot. Even now it continues to develop inorganically, with the sharp radiance of the blastia. Yuri didn't know what to do, but even so, he defied the knights, wanting only to protect the friendly faces that surrounded him. His meeting with the "princess" was a fate brought about by such everyday life.
Yuri escorted the imperial princess Estellise to his best friend, the knight Flynn. On the way, it was like taking a walk babysitting a naive and good-natured girl. However, the state of the Empire outside the barrier was even worse than it seemed in the Imperial Capital itself. The ācommonplace happinessā that Yuri once believed in seeing one day seemed like nothing but a pipe dream that heād imagined in his mind.
He watched with disdain as the bigwigs, surrounded by organizations, gleefully soaked up the feeling of lining their own pockets as they looked on passively at the wrongdoings and injustices done to their own people. At this point, Yuri made up his mind and found his resolve. He was disgusted by āevilā threatening the happiness that everyone should be allowed. The blade of condemnation would shatter peopleās trust, he would be criticized behind his back, and he would be judged by the "correctness" of the "law." Yet, he wanted to grab ājusticeā with his own hands.
He did not at all intend to claim he was morally just. He simply thought this was the way things should be. He cared less and less about how society viewed him. His blood-stained left hand was already that of a sinner. Tiresome labels such as "heroes who protect peace" only made him feel ill at ease. His dearest friend, who is suited to such words of honor that he will not put to shame, would receive them instead.
Yuri doesn't flaunt his achievements and doesnāt act like a bad person. He simply greedily seeks "true justice." In the shadow of the glory of the glamorous knights, he walks down a dark, cold path covered in mud. He is a former knight who is forceful and confident, but one who takes on the pain as if it were his role to do so, and he is kinder than anyone. The palms of his hands are now worn with sin and dust, but his gentle, white fingers that know nothing of such defilement still grip them tightly.
Another translation from the Radiant Mythology 3 Fan Bible and another profile skit!
TL note: Chichinpuipui is Mao's catchphrase, but irl is a phrase and "spell" used for injured children/children in pain to make them feel better. It could be translated to "there, there", but I'm not sure if "there, there" was the intent of the writer for Rebirth or if it was always meant to be a "Mao thing" in-universe. Also, I'm very attached to Mao's chichinpuipui LOL.
(Scanner preferred to remain anonymous.)
Original JP + TL under the cut.
What kind of person is Mao?
Flynn: Welcome back, Mao. Thank you for your hard work on your mission.
Mao: Iām backā¦ No, thatās not right. Umā¦ Iām back, bread! I just got back, bread!
Spada: Hellās that supposed to be?
Mao: Iām impersonating someone I met outside. Sheās a baker. She always adds "bread" to the end of her sentences, it's so funny.
Flynn: Mao likes that sort of thing. He was imitating Ada the other day.
Mao: Yeah! To be honest, I think itās funny.
Spada: Ohhh? Hey, you. Don't just copy other people. Don't you have any original ideas?
Mao: I have a signature phrase. Chichinpuipui. āŖ
Flynn: Oh, is that a spell to make ghosts less scary?
Spada: Huh? Thatās the thing you shout when you make a fire, aināt it?
Mao: Both are correct, bread! It's more fun to say it this way.
Flynn: Thatās right. Mao is usually cheerful as is, but it feels like he otherwise knows how to cheer himself up. I think itās amazing.
Mao: Th-Thatās right. Eheheā¦ Eheee, bread!
Mimi: Heyā!Ā Thatās my original bread phrase! Donāt just use it like that!
