I'm kinda wondering now about how this topic would have looked like if they had killed off Toturi and kept Arasou alive.

5 minutes ago, Bayushi Bajie said:

I seem to recall Yoshino getting killed by Chagatai in that fic but even there, I vaguely recall he was sacrificing himself for the Clan.

the only real win I read, recall and liked was Domotai's army vs Legulus'. The calculations and meticulous planning really shows the virtue, brilliance and sheer dedication of the Lion army.

Oh Yeah Yoshino got killed at the end. I meant the fact that he told Chagatai in a year I will march across your lands and destroy Shiro Moto. Stop us if you can, and even the Unicron with a year to prepare were only able to slow them down a little. they did not cover very many specific battles in it, but it always seemed to me that to arrive with your force intact and able to destroy a major castle of one of hte strongest military clans would have required good tatics.

There is one where Otemi suprised Chagatai's forces and won a battle, during hte first war, although Chagatai won the war Otemi won hte battle, but yeah they are few and far between for hte best tacticians in the empire.

Just now, AtoMaki said:

I'm kinda wondering now about how this topic would have looked like if they had killed off Toturi and kept Arasou alive.

That would have been awesome, major change and really set the climate of a different reality.

Just now, AtoMaki said:

I'm kinda wondering now about how this topic would have looked like if they had killed off Toturi and kept Arasou alive.

Oh, please. As if Tsuruchi would dress up like Hotaru just to kill Toturi.

I don't know... I read the story and vehemently believe that a single, honored Phoenix shugenja would have decimated both warring parties - from home.

6 minutes ago, Bayushi Bajie said:

I seem to recall Yoshino getting killed by Chagatai in that fic but even there, I vaguely recall he was sacrificing himself for the Clan.

Yeah, he considered his family cursed with what happened to Nimuro, (Matsu) Domotai and Satomi. So, he decided to get rid of it for the good of the Lion Clan.

1 hour ago, Tetsuro said:

Matsu Tsundere

Matsu Tsun-ko. All her dere impulses died on the field with Arasou.

Seriously, though, Toturi _is_ the harem anime protagonist in this show. Bookish kid thrust into a main-character role - stuck with Matsu Tsunko constantly, stalked by his kohai Tsanuri, angsty drama with childhood friend Hotaru, targeted for manipulation by a sultry older woman in Kachiko, and he's got an off-camera magical-girl Shugenja fiance in Isawa Kaede. O.o

Well-written story, by the way. It had good flow.

13 minutes ago, Himoto said:

Good strategy often leads to overwhelming numbers.

This is worth noting, because people often think that good strategy should translate to winning without regard for numbers...and while it can, a good strategist should also know (as about the first lesson they learn) that fighting without a numerical advantage is a foolish, risky, desperate way to fight. The Lion SHOULD be shown to outnumber their opponents most of the time, because the Lions are *good* at deploying their forces to achieve victory, and achieving numerical advantage is a big part of that,

(And even an outnumbered general's best move is usually to concentrate their forces against a weaker part of the enemy army, achieving *local* number advantage and using it to break the enemy's coordination)

I agree with you, except the tactics that lead to overwhelming numbers would be the important part, just having them in the story doesn't get the point that you outclassed your opponent tactically. when most of them are written it just seems like the Lion showed up with alot more troops rather than managed to gather more troops through tactics at a location where their opponent had fewer troops.

The difference is I guess from showing the tactics to be better, and assume it. the assumption that you just showed up with twice as many soldiers because you have more is as equally valid in the assumption when the tactics used to outnumber your foe are not included in the story. JMO however

3 minutes ago, Bayushi Bajie said:

I seem to recall Yoshino getting killed by Chagatai in that fic but even there, I vaguely recall he was sacrificing himself for the Clan.

My recollection was Yoshino went out cursing his ancestors, and the Lion players got really bitter about that.

You be the judge: http://www.kazenoshiro.com/kazenoshiro/8/h8e05p15.php

1 minute ago, mlund said:

Seriously, though, Toturi _is_ the harem anime protagonist in this show. Bookish kid thrust into a main-character role - stuck with Matsu Tsunko constantly, stalked by his kohai Tsanuri, angsty drama with childhood friend Hotaru, targeted for manipulation by a sultry older woman in Kachiko, and he's got an off-camera magical-girl Shugenja fiance in Isawa Kaede. O.o

Don't forget the geisha assassin girl who can't resist his charms and saves his butt after some hot smexy times instead of killing him!

6 minutes ago, AtoMaki said:

Don't forget the geisha assassin girl who can't resist his charms and saves his butt after some hot smexy times instead of killing him!

Kunoichi romances always end well ... kind of hoping she turns out to be a raging Yandere this time around - for completion's sake.

7 minutes ago, Yogo Gohei said:

My recollection was Yoshino went out cursing his ancestors, and the Lion players got really bitter about that.

You be the judge: http://www.kazenoshiro.com/kazenoshiro/8/h8e05p15.php

Domo arigato for making me skim the story once again. Yoshino's defiance was really striking here and i did forgot about him acknowledging the curse of the Matsu Championship for the Lion.

and he did sacrifice himself knowing he was outclassed by Chags so that the Lion will have a reason to further attack the Unicorn and take Chagatai out of the picture.

again, thank you for making me re-read it and i suggest for the new players (lions in particular) to read it. The combat and dialogue was superb.

32 minutes ago, Bayushi Bajie said:

Toturi's brilliance could have been shown without the focus on the other named Lions' incompetence. I couldn't see in the fiction why Arasou was better than Toturi as a champion in the first place.

That's because he wasn't a better champion. For all of Toturi's inferiority complexes (brought on him by his terrible family, especially his mother's side) Arasou was actually the bad son. Arasou was a Matsu at heart, and he knew it. And unfortunately, he wanted to be the stereotypical Matsu (The best tactic is to drown the enemy in their own blood) not the smart Matsu (find the best way to kill the enemy, then drown them in their own blood). If you read the old story, while it constantly praises Arasou and the Lion feel they've never had a Champion like him and build a huge statue...even though he literally did nothing in his whole career. The Lion of this generation are ruled by Matsu mentality (Toturi's father had to give up HIS name to marry Toturi's mother even though he was champion), and have forgotten their past. Orignally, Arasou's campaign to reclaim Toshi Ranbo showed how bad a leader he was. His army was instantly hit with resistance and ambush tactics he wasn't prepared for (and considering that's the Daidoji's main tactic, every Lion Champ should expect that), but instead of adapting to the situation, he just powered forward with his army, thinking force would win the day over skill and guile. Arasou literally walked into Crane trap after Crane trap until he walked into his own death on the inside of the walls the Crane opened so they could cut him off and ambush him inside. So yeah, Arasou was supposed to be a failure of a Champion, but he was everything the Matsu (especially Tsuko) wanted in a Champion, so they'll never admit it. This was how it was in the old story. And from what I see, that's how it is in this one, too.
Poor Toturi. Well, at least they showed that pretty much everyone but Tsuko respected him in the end. Glad to see the whole gang's here, even Motso.

I rather enjoyed it, even if the honorable Lion lost our champion in battle with the Crane.

I was also one to hope that Arasou could have been the champion through the first cycle or so, but at the same time, it does give us a rerun of the Lion Civil War from Clan War.

Loving the new Rokugan!

2 hours ago, AtoMaki said:

2 hours ago, Tetsuro said:

Can't wait to see Ikoma Tsanuri all "AHH PLEASE NOTICE ME SEMPAIIII"

Tsuko's tent scene was already "Sempai does not notice me!" tier, so for one, I'm appeased .

Now I'm visualizing that.
Ikoma Tsanuri's the unlucky childhood friend.
Matsu Tsuko's the Tsundere...the violent, unlikable kind.
Doji Hoturo's the beautiful princess he's hung up over and has no chance with (but just may have had a past fling with).
Bayushi Kachiko's just there to see how many suckers she can pull into this web of sin and profit from it (or just because messing with people is fun).
Mirumoto Hitomi...probably doesn't know how babies are even made, and I hope is still only interested in cleaving Yakamo's head from his shoulders (though his hand will do in a pinch). Seriously, Hitomi romancing anyone sounds scary. She had issues.
But, then, who's best girl of this harem: Isawa Kaede or Hatsuko?

6 minutes ago, Samurai Fox said:

Glad to see the whole gang's here, even Motso.

Everything you said, it just that it would have been good to see for the new players why Arasou was chosen instead of Toturi instead.

I too, giggled, with all the name dropping and references. (Agetoki always looks like its-a-meee-Mario to me) but I would have like to have a bit of shout out to the mentioned alliance between the Lion-Scorpion as this was one of the thing changed from the old story and got me curious.

By the way, am I the only one that read Hoturo's letter as: "So, I killed your brother. Feel free to send me a gift basket later. Congrats on your promotion; everyone was rooting for it. Everyone. By the way, remember our High-school Fling? Yeah, I remember it too.
Hearts and Kisses, Hoturo.
PS: Your bro totally had it coming."

But seriously, I could see Toturi and Hoturo having a brief romance (not necessarily physical) or being just friends. Of course, she could have wanted him, but got spurred, and ran into Kachiko's evil web- sorry, I totally meant her loving arms.

No Fumio

0/10

3 minutes ago, DrDevidents said:

No Fumio

0/10

Who do you think whispered to Arasou in his sleep, "Piss, ignore your best general, the Crane are totally wimps. You can trust me, I'm a Kitsu. Don't you believe in Kitsu?"
All according to best kitty's plans.

Daidoji Fumio, the best Harrier ever.

2 minutes ago, Samurai Fox said:

By the way, am I the only one that read Hoturo's letter as: "So, I killed your brother. Feel free to send me a gift basket later. Congrats on your promotion; everyone was rooting for it. Everyone. By the way, remember our High-school Fling? Yeah, I remember it too.
Hearts and Kisses, Hoturo.
PS: Your bro totally had it coming."

But seriously, I could see Toturi and Hoturo having a brief romance (not necessarily physical) or being just friends. Of course, she could have wanted him, but got spurred, and ran into Kachiko's evil web- sorry, I totally meant her loving arms.

Toturi always ask Hotaru for haikus whenever he's smitten and fawning over some girl in Tsuma, never once sensing that Hotaru longs for him..then came the newcomer, Kachicko and everything changes. Hotaru and Kachiko starts to hang out more often, Hotaru still does the things for Toturi but the haikus seems sweeter and smiles better..Toturi now never seemed to enjoy all his conquers but longs for time when it was just him and Hotaru..and then he realized, he is inlove with his bestfriend.

stay tuned for next season of The Gempukku Diaries.

39 minutes ago, AtoMaki said:

I'm kinda wondering now about how this topic would have looked like if they had killed off Toturi and kept Arasou alive.

Honestly, I feel like I probably would have been happier.

Having Toturi giving advice, it be ignored and his brother dying because of it does essentially nothing to create a character arc.

In fact, it potentially hinders a character arc because he was completely right.

If Arasou had made the call to charge and gotten his hesitant (and wiser) brother killed because of it, it could have signaled the beginning of an arc that would cause a change in him from the hot blooded military commander that he is to a more thoughtful Akodo-esque tactician like his brother was.

Too often, I feel like stories nowadays forget that the point of a story, especially a character driven story, is to show the change in a person as a result of a major conflict.

How is Toturi going to change over the course of this story? He warned his brother, was right and is now more entrenched in his beliefs than ever.

I dunno. This coming from someone who doesn't write for a living. I just figure you want to show characters grow over time. Toturi seemed like he was already fully developed as soon as we heard his name.

3 minutes ago, Joe From Cincinnati said:

Honestly, I feel like I probably would have been happier.

Having Toturi giving advice, it be ignored and his brother dying because of it does essentially nothing to create a character arc.

In fact, it potentially hinders a character arc because he was completely right.

If Arasou had made the call to charge and gotten his hesitant (and wiser) brother killed because of it, it could have signaled the beginning of an arc that would cause a change in him from the hot blooded military commander that he is to a more thoughtful Akodo-esque tactician like his brother was.

Too often, I feel like stories nowadays forget that the point of a story, especially a character driven story, is to show the change in a person as a result of a major conflict.

How is Toturi going to change over the course of this story? He warned his brother, was right and is now more entrenched in his beliefs than ever.

I dunno. This coming from someone who doesn't write for a living. I just figure you want to show characters grow over time. Toturi seemed like he was already fully developed as soon as we heard his name.

I think you have to establish the traits first; that's what allows the writer to subvert them.

8 minutes ago, Joe From Cincinnati said:

Honestly, I feel like I probably would have been happier.

Having Toturi giving advice, it be ignored and his brother dying because of it does essentially nothing to create a character arc.

In fact, it potentially hinders a character arc because he was completely right.

If Arasou had made the call to charge and gotten his hesitant (and wiser) brother killed because of it, it could have signaled the beginning of an arc that would cause a change in him from the hot blooded military commander that he is to a more thoughtful Akodo-esque tactician like his brother was.

Too often, I feel like stories nowadays forget that the point of a story, especially a character driven story, is to show the change in a person as a result of a major conflict.

How is Toturi going to change over the course of this story? He warned his brother, was right and is now more entrenched in his beliefs than ever.

I dunno. This coming from someone who doesn't write for a living. I just figure you want to show characters grow over time. Toturi seemed like he was already fully developed as soon as we heard his name.

The thing to remember is this is chapter 1 in that story. Him changing and growing won't happen in chapter 1.

Was I the only one disappointed that Matsu Tsuko didn't kill Hotaru?