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Old 2011-06-01, 21:39   Link #89
relentlessflame
 
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 41
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reckoner View Post
However, isn't it important to try to keep characters in dramatic stories well grounded? If the audience can't see why the character would make a decision, put themselves in their shoes, is it not hard to empathize with the characters?
Well, I presume that everyone who watches entertainment does so because there's something that hooks them and keeps them interested. I'm not convinced that "I could really deeply empathize with all the characters" is always one of those key reasons, though it certainly could be. (Usually people have to at least be able to engage with some of the main characters, but not necessarily all of them, especially in this specific sub-genre.) If this is a story that manages to attract and entertain a large audience even given this storytelling strategy, then it seems to me there must be some merit in it. At least it seems to keep people engaged and talking about it, if nothing else.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Reckoner View Post
Making the plot coherent and understandable is all I'm asking for. Even if Kyousuke himself is confused, the audience should be able to see this confusion and break down the reasons why, citing dialog and events showcasing why this confusion arose. At the moment, I see none of this.
All I really ask is "keep me engaged". I don't find the plot here particularly incoherent or incomprehensible as it is, but I'm willing to live with some ambiguity and to come up with my own theories that fill in some of the gaps that I imagine will be filled eventually. Life is full of emotional ambiguity, so I don't personally require my fiction to be all neatly-wrapped, but I recognize that's a preference not a principle. I liked a lot of shows that other people consider flawed, and that doesn't really bother me.
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