Unpopular TM opinions you have

[BlameLib]

They certainly keep *trying* to ascribe a character and personality to Fujimaru, but they're incredibly inconsistent with it as to what that personality is or if they even do have personality in any given scene. As a result, neither the character or self-insert fujimaru fans are satisfied.

[Random]

what if the writers are the ones self-inserting :thinking:

[warellis]

They certainly keep *trying* to ascribe a character and personality to Fujimaru, but they're incredibly inconsistent with it as to what that personality is or if they even do have personality in any given scene. As a result, neither the character or self-insert fujimaru fans are satisfied.

So what is post-LB 6 Fujimaru's personality you would say?

[BlameLib]

So what is post-LB 6 Fujimaru's personality you would say?

Most important thing is that they're part of the "Yakudo Trio". Reading the lyrics of the song perfectly embodies the trio of Fujimaru, Castoria, and Oberon. So reading that will be a good insight to post-LB6 Fujimaru. Namely the theme of accepting the responsibility shittily forced on you but still making the best of it all the same.

Going through the Garden of Lost Will scene in LB6 Part 2, Fujimaru sees themselves as completely and utterly disposable and replaceable - a point that they're really quite bitter about, surprisingly. This stress of needing to not be disposable makes them antsy and restless. Turns out they can't even really relax in the first place. They characterize themselves as someone who is always running away while a brave hero dies in their stead. They're sick and tired of it.

But its because of the Doctor's effect on their life that Fujimaru should focus on only one concrete thing: To live, to survive. That's all anyone can do in his position. That's the most important thing Ritsuka Fujimaru can do - to constantly fight for his and humanity's survival.

Quite a bit cheesy and shounen-y if you ask me, but it's quite a neat way to have the MC go through all the bad stuff bogging them down and keep on going at it.

Tunguska has also brought back my favorite trait of Fujimaru of wanting to deal with the Beasts peacefully and more importantly to defeat them by understanding them. Sure it was anti-climactic as hell, but its really the heart of how a Beast should be handled and conquered. Ooku still leaves a bad taste in my mouth with how Fujimaru was written to detest Kama and defeat her and leaving without even trying to understand her circumstances...

This is also probably a hot take but I never saw Fujimaru as the main character and protagonist, I only ever see them as the observer like say...Nick in The Great Gatsby. The real protagonist is Mash.

[Random]

This is also probably a hot take but I never saw Fujimaru as the main character and protagonist, I only ever see them as the observer like say...Nick in The Great Gatsby. The real protagonist is Mash.

Based, snowflake-pilled, and correct.

[Comun]

Mash is the part 1 protagonist, no questions asked, but part 2 really seems to be wanting to do something with Fujimaru instead.

[OnesFleetingGlory]

Things are starting to get personal for Guda in Part 2 halfway through the arc, specifically the moment Alien God's appearance is revealed. Before then, it's business as usual, albeit with agonizing moral dilemma due to Lostbelt situations. The way things went with Koyan gave them hope to potentially do the same with Alien God.

[Nanaya]

but they're incredibly inconsistent with it as to what that personality is or if they even do have personality in any given scene.

Not only that but any perceived personality, character or development is just as likely to be missing the next time someone steps up to write something new.

This is also probably a hot take

I wouldn't say it's too hot a take in the grand scheme.

[mami-kouga]

Seconding Comun that Mash is the unambiguous protag of part one but after EOR where she's dumped to mission control and even for part 2 itself I can't quite agree with that. Part 1 was pretty focused on her emotional journey (the ever looming threat of her death, her taking private heart to hearts with different servants, Goetia attempting to reach out to her a lot and her being the reason For ends up being a non issue as a beast) with Guda in the background until Babylonia, part 2 is considerably less about her by comparison and pays more attention to chaldea as a whole

[Gehennahem]

They certainly keep *trying* to ascribe a character and personality to Fujimaru, but they're incredibly inconsistent with it as to what that personality is or if they even do have personality in any given scene. As a result, neither the character or self-insert fujimaru fans are satisfied.

It reminds me of Hakuno at the very least(who is equally similar to Ritsuka and only truly being personally defined in other material) but it really doesn't stop me from what I think is true regardless.

[Byegod]

One thing is that certain traits dont make a character, especially the more generic or 'normal' they are. Thats most of the replies guda has, there so fundamentally generic that most black haired japanese protagonist could utter them and you wouldnt tell its OOC.

Its a issue with the foundation, its why when they try to apply character it falls flat because the foundation itself was flawed

[Petrikow]

It reminds me of Hakuno at the very least(who is equally similar to Ritsuka and only truly being personally defined in other material) but it really doesn't stop me from what I think is true regardless.

CCC Hakuno has a character.

It was confiscated afterwards, however.

[warellis]

CCC Hakuno has a character.

It was confiscated afterwards, however.

Didn't even Extra Hakuno have enough snark or personality to make observations, not player choice but observations on their own, like "Rin goes from comatose to bitch in 3 seconds flat"?

Even now, from reading dialogue, it feels like that would only be offered in a choice by FGO during one of those branching dialogue choices that doesn't actually branch.

[Sesto]

They certainly keep *trying* to ascribe a character and personality to Fujimaru, but they're incredibly inconsistent with it as to what that personality is or if they even do have personality in any given scene. As a result, neither the character or self-insert fujimaru fans are satisfied.

if i can self-insert as a 30 year old private detective widower, i can self-insert as a piece of cardboard who sometimes talks about cringe mecha. you underestimate the power of a true self-inserter

I've never really understood people who cry about Guda's characterization because like you said, he's just an observer. His character (or lack thereof) is completely inoffensive and the long twitter threads comparing him to Shirou or whatever are just silly. He was clearly never originally intended to be anything more than a player avatar. Yeah they've done some things with him in Part 2, which have been neat, particularly how he was used as a foil to Castoria/Oberon in LB6. I did like Babylonia as well with minor traits like his reverence of Ushi. But getting up in arms about Guda being a shit character generally just feels like a waste of energy. Might as well complain about a Pokemon MC being a shit character.

[Comun]

Didn't even Extra Hakuno have enough snark or personality to make observations, not player choice but observations on their own, like "Rin goes from comatose to bitch in 3 seconds flat"?

The main difference between "Hakuno has to kill 7 people to survive" and "Fujimaru has to kill 7 populations for a vague and uncertain chance to restore their world" is that Hakuno has monologues and dialogues 100% of the time, and the former is pretty often about the blood in their hands. Even if that wasn't that much work into making Hakuno a goofy weirdo, just allowing your protagonist to have a constant voice already makes a huge difference.

[OnesFleetingGlory]

Extra has Nasu doing all the dialogues, so Hakuno's characterization is consistent.

FGO had Nasu share the job with other writers, so Guda can't be as consistent, and to avoid discrepancies they avoid giving them inner monologues. Though Nasu did try to assign them agency during Garden of Dejection in Avalon le Fay, but that's just so late in the game that not many people will care.

[AmADo VII]

it's almost 7 years and ppl still don't read FGO huh?

[TomPen94]

I actually have a friend who plays FGO a lot, and has been playing pretty much since it hit NA, but he still hasn't started the Lostbelt arc, so yes that is possible. Even for fans of the product.
And yea, I've been trying to push him to read it. Hasn't worked so far.

[AmADo VII]

when I said read, that includes materials and other adaptation such as comics.

[Dullahan]

when the protagonist has so much character you forget to put it in the actual game