1. Guns. Why guns? Because he loves it so much, with passion. Remember Nasu said he still fetishing his hobby? My first reaction when I heard he saying like that, I was like “Nasu, you must be drunked” and then someone from Beast’s Lair proves this:
http://i.imgur.com/is5cvkw.jpg
Damn, I guess Higashide really loves guns afterall. Now when it comes to guns, it’s obviously Kairi Shishigou, the master of Saber of Red aka Mordred. Come on, he uses fancy and cool looking gun he got there. I have been recalled that Kairi is Higashide’s favorite character, so that is debatable. AND THEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM: Reika Rikudou, the master of Assassin of Black aka Jack The Ripper, uses guns too.
What’s main problem of this cliche trait according from fans who had known his previous works and stated Higashide wanking his fetish than character themselves. Basically more guns, less character development. This answers Higashide being fanboy everytime when he always talking about firearms. This is kinda worries me when I suddenly remember Kairi is being one of them and hopefully Higashide don’t focus too much on it. Suprisingly, Kairi less use his gun since last time we’ve heard he fought Fiore Forvedge in Vol.2. So what happen there? Maybe Nasu gives him a helpful advice?
Whatever I think Higashide loves gun, I always think he is
crazy assassin dude from Assassination Classroom.
2. Higashide loves horror genre. Just list it anything related to horror genre like monster, vampire, supernatural and any some sort of bizarre black magic he interests it. Especially ghoul by the way, because that is another Higashide’s cliche trait. I’m not talking about cool, flashy looking, awesomeness and badass ghoul like Tokyo Ghoul or any ghoul type anime/manga/novel/game out there. Actually what we’re looking for is generic, man-flesh eating, horrifying (and weird) design, and has ability to possess individual or group and mind breaks.
When I heard he likes ghoul, I had thought it was Spartacus supposed to be token ghoul because his Noble Phantasm transforms him into some-wriggly-creepy-tentacle but he’s not. I guess it was Vlad? Nope, and he’s not a vampire, until he actives his trump card but he is not ghoul we’re looking for. Believe it or not, Spartacus and Vlad are both designed by Gen Urobuchi, known as Urobutcher. Both have ability to transforms into monstrous form due to Noble Phantasm activation and both died in volume 2 at the same time.
After volume 2 and 3, I was like “I guess there’s no ghoul anywhere in F/A from what I’ve heard so far”. Until that is volume 4 reveals it was JACK THE RIPPER, has this trait. She explodes herself into hundred ghost children, traumatizes Sieg and Atalanta. After Jack has been exorcised by Jeanne, the corrupt spirit escapes then possesses Atalanta.
Do you want to know what’s weird about this trait? Higashide designs too many ridiculous monsters/villains that questioning everyone’s curiosity, like this one for example:
3. “Name any character has may a lot of potential but butchered too fast by Higashide for no reason”. I think this is everyone’s least favourite of Higashide’s cliche trait. Before anyone ask, yes he had butchered so many characters from his previous works including F/A. Which is the reason why everyone called him “Urobuchi’s partner in crime” but unlike Urobuchi, Higashide does it immediately without put as much effort as he could for his three or more characters. You could say that he doesn’t care his character so much at all. How many F/A characters has this trait? Darnic Prestone, Celenike Icecolle, Rouche Frain, Reika Rikudou and so on. Just list it how many characters from F/A who weren’t designed and written by Kinoko Nasu.
There are four symptoms of this trait:
- When a character actives trump card, there’s a chance that character will be killed ASAP even though reveals the true power or true form once. Sometimes Higashide kills the character if never reveal the true power despite who has potential, like Celenike for example.
- When a character is going to die, there’s a chance that Higashide writes humiliate, agony, being idiot ball or “what the hell” moment for him/her. No sad moment or whatsover. He absolutely shows no mercy for good guys too, like Rouche Frain. HOW?!?!
- Oh, the character will be killed for real immediately, maybe at least in one chapter, one volume or one-three pages. Depend on how much character got screen times you can spot him/her.
- Lastly, fate worse than death, if Higashide decides not to kill his character anyway.
I swear to god that Higashide is your typically sadism author, maybe worse than Urobuchi or Tomino but not as cool as both Urobuchi and Tomino if you ask me. Speaking about sadism, oh boy....Do I have to do it?
4. Charisma break, heel-face turn, humiliation conga and butt monkey. If you’re familiar with Touhou Project, then you know what charimsa break is, if not, google it and you will find your answer there. When I mentioned these four tropes, your answer obviously must be “Gordes”, “IT’S GORDES!”, “Are we talking about Gordes?”, “Gordo-san?”, “That can’t be anyone but him”.
Yup, you’re absolutely...
half correct.
Gordes is your token F/A butt monkey. He becomes good guy, but being Gordes is REALLY suffering. However, all these four tropes are not Higashide’s common cliche trait, it’s more like he is very fond of these tropes for some reason and both are very weak. Keep in mind, I never read any Higashide’s previous works, so I can’t find any character has these traits as same as Gordes. Even my friend who knew a few Higashide’s works stated it was hard to find a butt monkey character somewhere in his previous works. Thankfully, at least my friends confirmed that there was an another character who had suffered just like Gordes. They showed me these pictures. I look at it...
Hey, not bad. I don’t see what’s so bad about this character. What could be possibly go wro-
SWEETMOTHEROFMERCYWHATTHEHELLAMILOOKINGATMYEYESARE BURNING!!!! Okay, I.. add the link here, so you can see the image.
http://i.imgur.com/xHZde2Q.jpg?1
Because it is nsfw, mAYbE?!?! I DOn’T KnOW?!?! PlEAse doN’T tELL ME thERE’s MOre?!?!
This is where’s Higashide being sadism kicks in. He teases his characters so much no matter what, even they’re being good guy or just they’re really official butt monkey. Only problem is, a bad guy who never heel-face turn were also has this trait too. Mostly focus on charisma break and/or sometimes maybe Higashide’s trait number 3 for the aforementioned purpose. You notice
“Yup, you’re absolutely... half correct” sentence, because you forgot there is one more character, which means Gordes is not only one who were being suffering. Who is another character has this trait? Well honestly I do want reveal the character’s name but I rather everyone take a guess and find their own answer, just for amusement. Yeah I testing how smart you are if you can figure it out who the heck another butt monkey is, and no, it’s not Astolfo. I will reveal it in somewhere new post one day. Good luck with that.
5. “A hero/heroine dies and a hero/heroine disappears”. I remember and learn this from Beast’s Lair when someone mentioning a character disappears into light before Vol.5 make it happen. Yes, it’s Kairi Shishigou and Mordred were victims of this cliche trait. I think it’s not bad cliche actually, because that’s how servant disappears when master dies, well depend on servant has Independent Action skill or not. I think it fits for them. Although there was another version of this trait. The story goes like this:
A hero dies, disappears, or comatose while a heroine disappears (Or sometimes dies). Then narration tells us the story alternates the universe, reset the timeline or reincarnation, both characters were safe. You think it’s actually happy ending right? Sadly no, we’re follow Higashide’s way. When both were reincarnated or still same person, a hero/heroine doesn’t remember who his lover is while a hero/heroine still remember but ignore it and pretend nothing happen despite reset/alternated/reincarnated the universe.
It’s sounds like bitter-sweet ending but again, It’s Higashide we’re talking about, it’s up to you whether you believe he doesn’t care his character or trolls his fans. The bad news is......this cliche happens in F/A, after Vol.5. Oh wow, after Vol.5? Now I wonder how did that happen?
The reason why this cliche happened after Vol.5, because Ruler servant. For those who remember what would happen if you summon same person but they don’t remember who you are anymore? Every new Heroic Spirit will have no memories of their previous summoning or of everything that happened after their previous copy death. Unlike Saber from Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night, is only an exception due to she made a contract with the world in exchange of the Holy Grail and able to retains her memories in every new summoning. Ruler servants on the other hand, are also can retaining their memories too except its different than Saber. Correct me if I was wrong, I’m not sure if this is might correct answer or not.
Well obviously Amakusa Shirou and Semiramis were victims of this trait. Semiramis is a normal servant while Amakusa is special servant who can retains his memories of each repeating game. Which means if Amakusa and Semiramis were summoned again, Amakusa still remember previous war while Semiramis DOESN’T remember anything at all including her relationship with him after her previous copy.
This screams...fandom rejoiced. Why I call it fandom rejoiced, I will explain this later in post of conclusion. Now I wonder what happen if Amakusa and Jeanne were summoned as normal servant? Can they both retain their memories even they’re not Ruler anymore? I’m remember how hot topic is this whenever Merem Blog have brought into question about Heroic Spirits.