Personally, I absolutely love it because it means that we will be treated to an entirely new timeline. I feel that FFG did this purposely to make sure this wasn't just going to be a rehash of the ccg...think about it...without Hoturi, the entire story changes as him and Kachiko couldn't have a son together. Therefore, he can't unknowingly kill his own son, spurring Kachiko's anger which sets off the entire Egg of Pan'ku / False Hoturi story arc.

Though I'll miss Hoturi, I think it's a stroke of brilliance on FFG's part in that making one little character change, they've ensured that we will get much more than a simple retelling of the old storyline.

I am also somewhat torn, I like the idea that we can get an reimagined Rokugan that might develop differently, but yes I will miss the tragic romance between Hoturi and Kachiko, which was in my humble opinion the best story ever done for L5R and I wonder now if the new Storyline might miss a female writter like Ree Shoesbee to give us the same impactful stories...

And the pillow fight debacle lets me already wonder how shallow the new setting might be just in an attampt to have nothing like ***** characters to avoid any controversy, when they could instead have taken a stance to support same sex relationships, since it seems that this is at the current political climate in the USA very needed.

Anyway, I hope for the best, and if necessary I can always simply make my own love stories in L5R using the roleplaying game.

No need to worry about the lack of a woman's touch. The head of the L5R Story is a woman by the name of Katrina Ostrander.

I don't love it but I don't hate it. This was my favorite story arc in the game so I am sad to see it go. It also seems weird to change his gender but someone pointed out that it was most likely to match up with the genders of the original Kami. That seems unnecessary.

I understand FF wants to do there own thing but I'm not fond of the canon wipe. Spider and Mantis were among my favorite and now they are gone. Hoturi was one of my favorite characters and now he is gone, along with several other characters I liked. I came into the game later than most here so most of what I knew about the story and everything that happened during my time with L5R is now gone.

I'm willing to give them a chance and see where the new storyline goes but they have an up hill battle ahead of them. I try to view this the same way I view Star Wars when Disney purchased it and tossed out the canon. A lot of bad stuff was removed but they can and have incorporated some of the stuff that the fans loved while ignoring some of the bad stuff. It won't be perfect though, as they have already done several dumb things to the SW canon. I'm sure the same will happen with L5R but I hope the good will outweigh the bad.

It'll be very unfortunate but if they had any plans for a Hotaru/Kachiko relationship, in a mature, non-exploitive way, I am sure this furor over this pillow fight thing has most likely scared them away from exploring it now. Truly sad because it would have been nice to see such things explored considering how hostile AEG was to the concept.

Okay, I'm out of the loop. What is this pillow fight thing that people are talking about?

12 minutes ago, TechnoGolem said:

Okay, I'm out of the loop. What is this pillow fight thing that people are talking about?

First it was like this.

Then it was like this.

Effectively, people on Reddit dared to have fun, so the Fun Police showed up to trash the party.

4 minutes ago, AtoMaki said:

First it was like this.

Then it was like this.

Effectively, people on Reddit dared to have fun, so the Fun Police showed up to trash the party.

Well that is certainly dismissive of you.

Don't be fooled! Hotaru is a trap!

I too will miss that tragic storyline, but have decided to wait and see...

Just because because they changed Hoturi into Hotaru doesn't mean that they can't do the Crane-Scorpion storyline. They can have Shoju and Hotaru fall in love and Hotaru secretly bear his child who Shoju accidentally kills in the Scorpion Coup (if that event happens). Kachiko does the egg of Pan Ku on Hotaru and unleashes her against the Crane Lands out of hatred and jealousy... or they can use Kuwanan as the love interest for Kachiko, heck even Toturi could be the father of Kachiko's kid, instead of spending the night with a geisha it was Kachiko, and Kaneka inherited his father's tactical genius and trained to be guy in pajamas can inflict terrible damage to any clan... They just have to be creative...

I assume that FFG have planned something interesting for the vets and the noobs to keep us entertained. Just my two zeni.

I will laugh if they turn the story around and give us Hotaru + Shoju.

But I want the pillow fight more .

That baby is going to have to grow up SUPER fast if you intend for it to die in the coup.

Also, Hotaru would be an unwed, pregnant female. You're basically destroying her character's ability to ever be taken seriously in society. Kachiko pretended Dairu was her child with Shoju. Hotaru would have no such cover.

There is also the possibility of a Hotaru / Toturi pairing which would help to quell the Lion / Crane animosity down the road.

I love the fact that we are seeing more female representation among the movers and shakers of the Empire. Always good. I will say, though, that choosing the Crane Clan and making Hoturi a woman was a bit of an "easy choice." As opposed to making Yakamo a woman, or maybe even swapping his prominence with O-Ushi. The "girly" clan is headed by a "girl." And all that baggage.

That said, I am sure that this will turn out as great, mostly because a lot of possibilities surround this change. Namely we assume that she is just a female analogue to Hoturi which might be completely wrong. Hoturi had his own life and his own role-models for very specific reasons. Doji Satsume was an aweful, misogynistic, abusive man who hated his son. Is that something that will carry over with Hotaru? Without it is there any reason for Hotaru to seek the "positive" parental figure of Kakita Toshimoko, her potential canon sensei and friend? I think it might be better to possibly see Hotaru as a completely different character that will make completely different choices.

I see the Hoturi/Hotaru switch as akin to Starbuck and Boomer in the BSG reboot. It sends a message that this will be a familiar, but very different story.

THe gender swap isn't the end of the world or terrible - just.......feels unnecessary. Its not like there was a lack of good, strong female characters in L5R.

At the end of the day, it only matters if their stories* are good. Not if they are male or female.

Was not there a joke about Bayushi Yojiro being an otoko no ko during the Scorpion Clan cup, based on card art?

* and their cards?

2 hours ago, Wintersong said:

At the end of the day, it only matters if their stories* are good. Not if they are male or female.

* and their cards?

Here! here!

Hoturi was an excellent character in the hands of skilled writers of the original canon. Hotaru has every potential to be just as excellent so long as the writers are good at their work, whether her adventures be similar or different to Hoturi's.