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darthmongoose — FDG ch02 page1

Published: 2005-08-28 12:51:44 +0000 UTC; Views: 355; Favourites: 1; Downloads: 39
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Description FIRST PAGE OF CHAPTER TWO! w00t!
Sarin is unfortunately the character who is saddled with what I'd call 'Hermione duty', ie. she is the smartest character and therefore must explain everything to the readers -_-' FanDanGo uses a lot of concepts that are new, unusual or slightly different from what you might expect (such as the fact that 'Changelings' aren't shape-shifters in this as they are in lots of sci-fi and fantasy... But they'll be explained later).
It's quite funny, because I've been working on FanDanGo in my head, in script form and in sketches for a long time, and so things like 'oh, she doesn't know he's there because she can't sense his magical signiture!' just seem perfectly natural to me...while everybody else is thinking 'what the heck is a magic signiture!?'
I actually do really like Sarin. She brings a little elegance and femininity to the group, and she's capable, but in a different way to Rekki 'if something is in the way, destroy it' Lune.
The other nice thing about Sarin is that she is the only character in the comic who's allowed to use a lot of Japanese stuff. I decided that the other characters should behave and speak in a very 'English' way, but it's nice to let Sarin use Japanese words, because they have some great words that we have no equivalent for, like 'Yoshi!' Which kind of means 'Right!/ Okay! /Ready!/ Let's do this!', the wonderful 'Ne' which is a noise you make to get people's attention, our only equivalents are 'hey!' and 'oi!' and my fave word 'Genki' (Happy/Healthy/Energetic). She also get's a katana. The only katana...It's so much cooler for being the only one too ^_^
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Comments: 11

ananien [2005-10-08 02:28:45 +0000 UTC]

ooooooooooh....
i love the bg-effects on the last panel
really nice

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deedreams [2005-08-29 14:34:30 +0000 UTC]

Eh.. right XD Maybe I need to reread a few pages, because I've got no idea what's going on 0.o I do like the highlights of the hair where you can see her in 3/4 view XD Haha! this may sound stupid, but what's AMF?

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darthmongoose In reply to deedreams [2005-08-29 20:40:28 +0000 UTC]

Ah, sorry, I thought people would notice that, she says 'Anti Magic Field' earlier in the page, and the letters for that are 'AMF', it's the short name that the knights call it.

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deedreams In reply to darthmongoose [2005-08-30 15:32:32 +0000 UTC]

Oooooh! That makes sence XD Sorry about that ~.~ I should have known XD

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itsmejesse [2005-08-28 23:19:14 +0000 UTC]

Katanas are the ones that channel the energy of draws best, right?

I think you explained something like that to me.

-Jesse out

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darthmongoose In reply to itsmejesse [2005-08-29 20:46:13 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, or rather, they release the energy more efficiently. I thought this would tie in well with how the Katana is a high quality sword that tended to be used to kill in one blow, which was generally the draw.

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itsmejesse In reply to darthmongoose [2005-08-29 21:15:29 +0000 UTC]

Why doesn't Rekki use a katana?

I mean, besides the obvious: she looks cool holding a sword that's as tall as she is.

-Jesse out

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darthmongoose In reply to itsmejesse [2005-08-29 22:56:06 +0000 UTC]

Rekki's sword was supposed to look just generally different from other characters because it's not an old or traditional sword (Most of the knights carry swords that have been in the family a long time, are hand-me-downs or are made to a 'classic' design). Rekki's sword is unusual because she had it specially designed and made.
The reasons Rekki doesn't use a katana:
1. Only an extremely skillful swordsmith can make one. The Japanese didn't share the secrets of making katanas for a veeery long time, and it's the same in the comic. Sarin's katana is the only one in about a hundred miles because her mother brought it with her secretly from Ohshima. None of the swordsmiths in Anglise actually know the secret of making katanas.
2. Contrare to what you may see in anime and films, Katana are terrible for parrying. The sharp side is extremely brittle and notches easily. The only way to effectively block with a katana is to reverse the blade. This means that your only defence is a swift offence. You can't thrust or stab effectively with a katana (especially vs. armoured targets) and it requires a lot of upkeep, so it's very specialised as far as weapons go.
3. In the sense of the 'comic writing', it just wouldn't be flashy enough. Rekki's sword isn't just a weapon, it's a sign to everybody saying 'I can carry around a hundred pounds of sword...come and have a go if you think you're hard enough!' The sword a knight carries is something that has to reflect them through and through, it's kind of a mystical relationship. Rekki's sword is powerful, over the top, useless for subtlety and difficult to control, so it suits her personality.
Sarin has a katana because it's an unsual weapon from another culture, with an elegant style, and it's also a weapon that requires a lot of skill to be used effectively. Sarin is partly 'foreign' to Anglise so stands out, she is graceful and very skillful, so the katana was an obvious choice.
Rocket's tiny blunt shortsword is my favourite though. It's just so tiny, insignificant and useless looking, but it's full of surprises, just like her.
4. I had to decide that only one of them could have a katana. Katana are extremely cool, but the comic is ultimately about knights. There are Samurai in the world of FanDanGo, they just don't live in Anglise, which is where this story is set.

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deedreams In reply to darthmongoose [2005-08-30 15:31:00 +0000 UTC]

LOL! That's really well thought 0.o I would have never guessed there was such a huge story behind it XD

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itsmejesse In reply to darthmongoose [2005-08-29 23:29:46 +0000 UTC]

Terrific answer. FanDanGo is lucky to have as careful a writer as yourself.

-Jesse out

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darthmongoose In reply to itsmejesse [2005-08-30 08:23:47 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much ^_^ I'm a detail geek.

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