Time for the second part of this ask sent to me by @annon-guy2 ! I was tempted to wait longer to post this, with Platinum's birthday coming up VERY soon, but I decided to go on with it anyway. Today I'll be talking about the second (from the left) row of characters, Hazama through Platinum!
[ Part I ] || [ x ] || [ Part III ]
HAZAMA
You stand at a crossroads. You find yourself unable to choose your path, and thus, unable to proceed. You could take the road that ebbs right- a path where you are incomprehensibly horny on main. You would show off your keychains, wall scroll, body pillow, pins, etc. You may reveal some of your own kinks as you discuss what you like about this character. You would make a fool of yourself.
Or, you could steel yourself, remain stoic, and take the road ebbing left. You would attempt to discuss this character from an objective standpoint. But you are not more powerful than lust. Undoubtedly, as you discuss your interpretation, you would once again reveal all your fetishes. Your analysis would break down into a pathetic rant against popular fandom interpretations of this character that, frankly, you find far too sympathetic to get off to. You would make a fool of yourself.
KAGURA
I'm surprised by how many people in Western fandom hate this guy! I mean, I can respect it; sex pest if a nasty trope, and there are lots of characters in other media that lean into that so much I can’t stand them. Kagura doesn’t feel like he crosses the line for me though. I think Kagura’s relationship with Ikagura is compelling. With Tenjo’s death and the whole NOL coup, he’s a man who’s already failed in his life’s purpose. He was raised as a tool much like Hibiki was. But with Homura still alive, he’s forced to live past what he probably wishes was the end of him- and a lot of his behaviors can be interpreted as depression, pent up feelings of helplessness, and a “I’m the hero, I’ll handle everything” complex born from a desire to live up to the standard he’s already fatally fallen short of.
CELICA
When I got into BlazBlue (properly, not the “almost” moment I had with Nu) it was RIGHT before Chronophantasma Extend released. I started plotting ideas for a sorta BlazBlue OC kinda deal, and I was REALLY interested in maybe working with one of the automatons, like Ignis and Nirvana. Then the trailers for Celica dropped; a time-displaced brunette with Minerva at her side. And I threw a big silly fit, because I felt there was too much overlap between her and my idea!
Once I was over that I absolutely loved her. Some folks think she’s one-note, but I don’t think she’s a flat character for that. The endless cheer she exudes is a conscious choice for her, and one that reads (to me) as Compelling Mental Unwellness with the context of Phase Shift and Lost Memories.
LITCHI
THE woman for tragedy enjoyers. Every person I know who likes her is also terminally dependent on Doomed Romances or some such. On my end, I’m fond of her sort of… tangentially??? More because my friends are fond of her, rather than her leaving a big impression on me. She was wonderful in the first two games, but as the cast expanded, I felt she got sidelined, to the point that I sorta forgot she was around. Her relationships with other women are consistently great; Kokonoe, various members of the Kaka Clan, Linhua, her parallels with Tsubaki, the implication of her stepping up as a parental figure for Platinum in the epilogue, etc. I wonder if BlazBlue Entropy Effect X will give us new insights into Litchi, through whatever the hell is going on with Lime...
PLATINUM
Honestly I think the fans are too hard on them. Yeah, they’re brats. They suck. They’re annoying. But I think that’s an okay way to write a child. Luna isn’t MEANT to be mature, level-headed, reasonable. Neither is Sena, no matter how much he likes to pass himself off as better than Luna. He’s not more well behaved, he’s just quieter, and more concerned with not getting caught being a little shit. I’m also forever obsessed with how Variable Heart teased what their purpose is as a PFD, and gave us some crumbs to canonize their relationship with Trinity. What the fuck do you MEAN “2095 test model 28” ??? Where the prior 27 never activated??? How long has this project been going, if there are nearly thirty test models in 2095 ALONE??? Were more manufactured in the following years, up until CT’s 2099??? Wait, I’m losing my mind and this isn’t even really about Platinum anymore…
Entropy Effect X has been announced, and with it, a new trailer full of new lore that seems much more rooted in the BlazBlue franchise then the game has been thus far.
A new set of NPCs have been revealed that seem to have interesting similarities to the Sector Seven cast. Below I'll be taking a look at the characters' profiles as listed in a Famitsu article, but note that I'm not translating the text of these profiles. It's too late in the night for me to want to do that.
Instead, I'm just noting any information I find interesting from either the profile or the trailer itself. Thank you for your understanding.
Dr. Mercurius
A strange scientist seen at the beginning of the new trailer, who looks a lot like Jubei or Kokonoe. According to their profile, the cat face is actually a mask. In charge of the lab and these experiments they're running, but the trailer suggests his teammates don't trust all them.
Shares a VA with Kokonoe herself, as well as XBlaze's Ringo and Mother.
Ti [Dr. T]
A researcher with a great amount of trust in Dr. Mercurius. His specialty seems to lie in researching "consciousness." Shares a VA with Tager.
Lime [Dr. L]
The researcher in charge of her teammates health, as well as the game's shop. Shares a VA with Litchi. The shared Chinese aesthetics are notable.
Fox [Dr. F]
A researcher who appears to be straight up wearing the Torifune Military Academy uniform from the BB series. In charge of running the simulations in the game. She mentions having a "best friend" she wants to save. She shares a VA with Kajun Faycott.
Cafe [Dr. C]
A passionate, if initially unimpressive, researcher. Very good at making coffee. Very willing to take risks for his research. Shares a VA with Arakune and Roy. The trailer suggests he might have a similar experience with a Cauldron.
