Part 15: “Political Nuances”
Today, there's a great scene, followed by 'political nuances' that are honestly really barebones.
Let's pay a visit to stickler mc-stick-up-his-ass.
well then, nevermind.
so we head back to the bar to find Viktor and Flik drinking. Nanami tells both of them what happened to Jowy.
She's not sure if he's been captured, but then again, I'm not sure either. Viktor and Flik join our convoy, since Viktor knows a good trick to get in to see Anabelle.
Which is basically Viktor punching the dude in the face. I LOVE Viktor.
Occupy Wall Street could learn a lot from Viktor.
: Hey, you! Is it true you sent Azure and Jowy to sneak into the Highland camp?!
: Yes, I asked them to do it. Now get your hands off me.
: Anabelle, I don't know you that well, but is the State really in such bad shape that they have to use kids as spies?
: Azure, how much provisions did they have anyway?>>>> About two weeks worth...
: Jowy's been captured by Highland. Well, I don't know if he was captured, but he didn't come back. So please, please save Jowy...
: But I'm afraid we can't save Jowy. We have our hands full just protecting the city. So please forgive me.
Viktor once again tries to rough up Jess.
: What!!!: Stop it, Jess!
When we return to the bar, Nanami opts to go wait for Jowy out by the main gate.
Watch the Video!
And we head into the short, but second amazing high point in Suikoden II: Waiting for Jowy to return.
You have two options here: Sit and wait with Nanami, or go. Leaving means you miss out on the whole scene, waiting means you get the full experience.
Suikoden 2 Tunes – Reminiscence ~ Ensemble Version
: It's late... Azure, you should go to Leona's.
Pilika runs out soon enough to wait with us. She begins to cry.
I mean, I dislike Pilika, but I'm not a dick to make her wait instead of me.
: Hey, hey. Do you remember that time you got lost in Lude Woods. While Grandpa Genkaku was out looking for you, Jowy and I waited for you just like this. You came back and I know Jowy is going to, too.
She's seriously insistent on us going back.
: Why won't you ever listen to what your big sister tells you? …... we'll wait a little longer.
: While we were waiting for Azure just like this, do you know what Jowy did... ha ha. He cried the whole time. Can you believe it? Our Jowy crying just like a baby... hey, this conversation is our little secret, okay? I promised Jowy I would never tell a soul.
: Looks like Pilika was pretty tired. It's late, Jowy.
I mean, we all knew Jowy was going to come back. But it's one of the little things that II does to get you emotionally involved: These are kids, thrown into a war they never wanted to be a part of, and all they can do is wait for each other to come home because they know no other way of coping.
This is also the last time in the game that I like Jowy.
>>> Welcome home.
So yeah, we can't leave. I don't know why Jowy got the assumption that I want to go outside of the city to take a piss. There's animal spirits with scythes for arms outside that can cut my dick off.
Up the mountainside we gooo
It's a pastel countryside and a giant erection.
: Leaders of the 5 State Cities, Muse, South Window, Greenhill, the Matilda Knights, and... oh I forget. Anyway, it should be interesting.: Interesting?
He encounters a bit of an issue getting in, however, despite his ties to Anabelle.
He should just deck that woman in the face.
Thank god Flik has it in with the ladies. She instantly swoons and asks if he's really “Flik of the Blue Lightning”... and we get to go in. Both Viktor and Flik are in our convoy once more.
Suikoden 2 Tunes – The Confederation Forever(rip out my eardrums)
: You creep. What are you doing?
Yup, we got a pair of prettyboy knights in this game, too. He chides Camus for what he did, but Camus responds that it's his duty as a knight. Perhaps those are the Matilda Knights.
On the left side is, from top to bottom, Granmeyer the mayor of South Window, Teresa, the mayor of Greenhill, Hauser, a general in the Muse army; on the right side, from top to bottom, Lord Gorudo of the Matilda Knights, Lord Makai who is representative of the Two River Principality, and Lord Gustav, mayor of Tinto. Jess tells the group that the Highland forces are right on Muse's border with 2 weeks' provisions.
: The Highland Army has already invaded the eastern part of Muse and burned several villages to the ground along the way.
I have no pupils!!!
My eyebrows are HUGE!
I must have dystonia, for my chin is perpetually resting on my chin and I have no control over it.
: How dare you...
: It is just as Lord Gustav said, they'll run at the first sight of battle. I'm not expending my knights for this.
: The people of Two River are also tired from many battles...
: In the name of our mutual oath, I order you to provide troops to protect Muse City, capital city of the City-State of Jowston.
: I'm not afraid of your threats. What good is it if I protect Muse when my people, the people of Tinto, starve?
: That's an order in the name of the State. You should watch your tongue, Gustav.
A soldier comes in to tell them that Highland is already beginning the attack.
So that's the 'political nuances' of Suikoden II. We got a super brief meeting where we found out that the City-State is full of a bunch of people who don't agree with one another or are way too selfish to dedicate anyone to any sort of cause. We learn that Makai is a pussy, Gustav is a douche, Gorudo is also a douche, Teresa is maybe good, Granmeyer loves the State, and Anabelle can't really do much to bring them all together.
It's all pretty simplistic, honestly, and kind of lacks any real subtlety about who will be an enemy and who will be good.
Nanami remarked that it “looked just like a bunch of old men arguing in there” which is a surprisingly succinct description of actual real-world politics. Jowy, however, has oddly nothing to say...
Anabelle meets us at the bar.
: 2 days... we battle outside Muse, and maybe bloody their noses a little. Yeah, I think I can buy you 2 days.Are you sure? Because the last time you had a great strategic plan we got fucked in the ass by it.
Anabelle and Viktor flirt a little over it. She calls him handsome, he...
: Well, err... hey, that's my job. Plus if it's a request from a fine lady like you, I could never refuse.
: Jowy, Azure, it was wrong of me to get you guys involved in this whole mess. Forgive me. But you don't need to do more than you already have. Let us adults handle this.
>>> Well I...
But thou must. Again. It's kind of harder to accept the 'but thou must' situations in this game because they're incredibly life-threatening for a fifteen year old to endure. It's a lot more unrealistic than a twenty-something son of a popular general who received a Rune that would put his life in danger accepting to lead a war against said father. Here, we're just thrust into situation after situation where a normal kid would probably have run away given the chance. It's something I can't really get over.
Artwork:
Anabelle
She used to be vice-mayor until her father, Darrel, died and left her to rule as mayor of Muse. In the years before Suikoden II, she met Viktor while he was a mercenary working in Muse. When Viktor's town of North Window (read: Northwind) was destroyed by Neclord, she met him there as well when she was sent by Muse to investigate the issue. While she investigated the issue, she found out that there were arms merchants attempting to frame the city of Two River for North Window's destruction, encouraging a war between Two River and South Window, a city to the southeast. With the help of Viktor and an ex-soldier named Zamjie, they foiled the plot and stopped the war from coming to fruition.
Granmeyer
He is the mayor of South Window, a city across a lake that's south from Muse. During the Gate Rune Wars, he was the one who sent troops along with part of Tinto's army to confuse and spread out Kasim Hazil's army at the behest of Mathiu's fake, antagonistic letter.
When the Toran Republic was created, these two forces would later be defeated by the Toran Army, the same conflict that Kasim Hazil and Sonya Shulen would go on to fight in the interim years between the first and second games. Afterward, there has been increasing friction between both Tinto and South Window.
Makai
He is the plenipotentiary of Two River, a principality that governs three separate racially-divided districts: Humans, Wingers, and Kobolds. We'll get into why this guy is both a douchebag and how screwy the situation is over there at a later time.
Gorudo
Captain of the White Knights, which are the highest order of the Matilda Knights. He and Alec Wisemail, father of Teresa Wisemail, poisoned the chief of the Karaya tribe, Kianu, in a political coup d'etat. When he joined the Jowston Alliance, he used his strong military might to intimidate the other, weaker members. To him, his own self-interest is enough to sacrifice his knight's code.
Teresa Wisemail
Daughter of Alec Wisemail, who died shortly before the events of Suikoden II, she is the acting mayor of Greenhill. The academic nature of the city she governs eats away at the Alliance's budget and thus they have not been able to pay them back for three years. This explains Gorudo's comment about the rice – Greenhill has been willfully ignoring paying back anything to the City-State, and because of this, her say in the grand scheme of things is weakened.
Gustav Pendragon
A man with viciously large eyebrows who is mayor of Tinto. He believes that the Alliance cares little for his people and is reluctant to answer the call to protect the City-State. During the Gate Rune Wars, he allied with Granmeyer's forces of South Window to take on the Scarlet Moon Empire. When they were defeated by the Toran Republic later on, he blamed Granmeyer for the defeat, because Granmeyer decided to retreat rather than face further bloodshed. He has also lead many attacks into the Grasslands, a prominent area featured in Suikoden III.
Hauser
A generic and dogmatic soldier who is the general of Muse's army. Notable for being both a black character in the series as well as having no pupils at all.