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Old 2013-02-17, 01:06   Link #29
Triple_R
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Location: Newfoundland, Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirarakim View Post
Yakomaru is certainly crafty and intelligent in ways the humans could never imagine because they couldn't begin to think that anything can be above their cantus.

But I hope this episode puts to rest Yakomaru is some type of noble freedom fighter. Unless you think noble freedom fighters have no qualms sacrificing his own troops (assuming no mistranslation). That should tell you what kind of character he is.
Actually, I see this very differently.

Saki openly wonders why the Queerats are so desperate to sacrifice themselves like this. Yakomaru may be the Queerats' trusted leader, but there's little doubt that he had to sell them on war with the humans, with "their gods". How did he sell that to them? What made them willing to endure high casualties like this?

Keep in mind that as you and kuromitsu love pointing out, Yakomaru's Queerat group was planning to attack the humans, and that is what this episode proves. Yes, this isn't strictly a war of self-defense for them.

Which, again, means that Yakomaru had to sell his people on war with the humans, and I doubt the queerats are so stupid as to not know what that likely meant for many of them. No matter how powerful Yakomaru is as a military leader/quasi-political figure, he still had to get his people to truly believe in this cause for it to happen (otherwise, Yakomaru himself would simply be taken out in an internal Queerat coup).

The Queerats must view the humans as horrible oppressors. They simply must. There's no other logical reason for them to choose to engage in a war that they knew would cost many of them their lives. They must believe that their cause is so worthy that the sacrifice of some will be worth it for the victory they hope it earns.

If Queerats view humans this way to the degree that many will give their lives to fight against the humans, then there's likely some legitimacy to the Queerats negative views of the humans. In which case, Yakomaru may still be a freedom fighter.


Let me make an admittedly controversial comparison here. Let me compare Yakomaru to this very (in)famous man, who perhaps fittingly is loved by many, and also hated by many others. Maybe someone should photoshop Yakomaru's face into that almost iconic photograph.

Viva le Revolucion! It looks like Yakomaru Guevara is about to topple Tomiko Batista.
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