Excellent! Alright, now I have someone to discuss this with - what do you make of the blood on Kaede's dress? It's mentioned with the Camellia Smiles that they're bloodstained because they're traitors or something like that. I've read theories where people say Kaede's betrayal was that she ran and hid rather than warning everyone else when Emir was eliminating them, but that doesn't seem like enough in my eyes. My theory's that she sold them out, let Emir know where to find them, in exchange for her safety. Hence, her utter confusion and desperation when she was chased and killed like all the rest. I may just be reading too much into it, though. Thoughts?
Well, the running, not so much, the hiding, yeah. The Smith Syndicate runs tight - you opt to hide instead of warn your team, you're a traitor, no doubt. I'd say Emir got his information from Yoon Hyun, pre-death. Check how Johnny Gagnon describes our middle finger throwing motherfucker:
"The informant's name is Yoon-Hyun. He's the owner of the Union Hotel Group. He met an untimely death at the Union Hotel in Philadelphia. Many celebrities were at the reception, but nevertheless, there were few witnesses to the murder, and many of the facts don't add up. Yet one thing is for sure: he was involved with the Smith syndicate. Rumor has it that an incident that happened at the hotel was swept conveniently under the rug."
Also, consider, in the Hand In Killer 7 notebook, he's listed as the Killer 7's first informant, meaning he'd be the go to guy in the 1950s to know what's what about the Smith Syndicate.
There's also symbolic importance. Yoon-Hyun gives you vague information as a remnant persona without the mask on. When you pay him, rather cheaply, with thick blood, he tells you the full details. Emir could have and I think did buy the info from Yoon.
That's a very good point. I'd overlooked Yoon Hyun almost entirely. I guess I fixate on the Kaede thing because of how weird her death seems. Out of all of them, I think she's the only one where we don't see the start of her encounter with Emil. When we enter, she's already running. That confuses me as well - he worked quickly with pretty much everyone else. How'd she get a chance to run? And why did she run? Sure, she's primarily a sniper, but she's still a Smith. You'd think she'd fight against him even a little. Her running definitely was the wrong choice, but I still feel like there should be something more to her death that the player doesn't see.
The other point I've read many different theories on is about Kun Lan/Iwazaru at the very end. What do you make of that reveal?
Iwazaru is the final smile, supposedly, the final piece of Kun Lan. Iwazaru could be considered a remnant psyche of Emir's, of sorts. Let's dig into some dialog in the game again.
Kun Lan: "There once was a young man who had a promising future. The centerback position was his to keep, and no one could take that away from him. Any play was a fair play; no one blew the whistle on him. Everybody loved him. Not to mention his campus sweetheart. Oh, she was something! They were the perfect couple. He graduated from Columbia with an MBA. His opportunity was infinite. He could do whatever he wanted with his life . . . but was he satisfied? No! Every night he would cry, begging the Lord; something deep within needed awakening. Then one day it happened....that moment, when the subconscious rises to the surface. Well, the way it triggered was very simple: it happened when his mother came on to him one night. As if the spirit of Jack the Ripper had taken over his body, he stabbed and stabbed until you couldn't tell who she was. You know what I think? An angel whispered into his ear. The angel gave him the exta courage he needed, to give her the divine retribution she deserved."
Harman: "Sure she wasn't . . . a Hell's angel?"
Kun Lan: "I'm pretty sure she only had good intentions."
Harman: ". . . you really are a villain."
Kun Lan: "I had nothing to do with it . . . but I must admit, my memory has become a bit misty these days."
Killer 7 deals heavily with Japanese-American conflict. Consider Garcian. He's a black man, born in America, but raised with very Japanese ideals and stylings in Coburn Elementary, supposedly, acting on the will of others. He's a character of conflict between two different nations.
Believe, for a moment, that Kun Lan is talking about Emir, when he talks about the star quarterback. Here, Emir is the American ideal. But there's something inside of him that isn't right, that needs awakening. Kun Lan only mentions the mother, attempting to come onto her child, a taboo in pretty much every culture you can name, both Western and Eastern. Use this universal bit as the trigger to awaken that latent piece of Emir - an Eastern influence.
He gets it from Kun Lan. Harman is West, Kun Lan is East. Harman is a father figure at one point to Emir, principal of Coburn Elementary. Kun Lan is pretty much a literal father, if we infer some from him remembering this whole sordid affair.
Shit gets more complicated here.
Emir/Garcian is an American shell with a Japanese influence inside. Kun Lan is the Eastern influence, lingering inside of Garcian. Note that Iwazaru is presented in bondage - restricted, constrained. He's present, but he cannot do that much. Oh, he can talk to Emir/Garcian, warn him, and so on and so forth - but he really can't do jack shit.
When in the final mission, to kill the final smile, remember Harman being knocked over, not awake? In this state, and after Garcian has rediscovered his memories as Emir, the Eastern/Kun Lan influence, Iwazaru, is set loose, free to move about.
When Emir kills Iwazaru, he kills the influence of Kun Lan. He kills the past. Emir is no longer tied and bounded by the conflict of East vs. West represented in him.
It's so beautiful in its own way. Honestly, just reading all that makes me want to go through the game again. I always catch something new I didn't notice the time before. Looking back, I'm surprised I didn't catch on to Emir's real identity more quickly. There's just so much going on that even things like that that seem utterly inevitable in retrospect get hidden nicely. The Iwazaru thing, though... that one's still kind of a shock.
So I'm guessing that your favorite character is Garcian. The thing I love about him, aside from all the roles he plays in the plot, is the fact that when he has to face what he did, he's actually upset about it. He's remorseful. The whole game is based around death, violent death even, and yet this one assassin, above all others, has come to the point where he pretty much breaks down over his own treacherous past. It just caps the whole story off so perfectly.
Of course, the little Shanghai bit at the end makes everything that much sweeter. Kun Lan (I think... it may have been Harman, but same effect) did mention that their game got interrupted "again". I love circular plots.
Garcian is one of my hands down favorites because he's so complicated while only looking one dimensional. I'm also a fan of Con Smith, simply because I think he's a fun, wonderful character, and Kevin Smith, because the silent type really interests me.
Garcian's life ties heavily into the influence of Japan and its relation with America. He's born in 1942 - when Japan is a strong EMPIRE, all warring and empiring and whatever you'd call it. He has a recorded death in 1952, if I'm remembering correctly, about the same time Japan is effectively cutting off the influence of the past, the empire, and becoming modern Japan, with influence from the west. Death and rebirth according to the strength of a country.
This is a plot analysis FAQ. (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/file/562551/38193) It is fucking IMMENSE. But very thorough. I love it. It explains a lot about the history of Japan and America, and how it may tie into Killer 7. It also gives good ideas on what the Yakumo may represent, and other good stuff. Suda 51 is fucking amazing.
That FAQ's amazing. I haven't read the whole thing yet, but just. Wow. Thanks for the link.
My personal favorite is Con, both for his character and for how much I love playing as him, followed by Kevin and Travis. I swear, the name alone is half the reason I like Travis Touchdown, though he's pretty kickass from his own merits.
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they're all wicked awesome, good job! i'm still not over the insane pretty of adult!near, man, siiiiigh.
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omg just noticed him popping up over cards!
Hahhahaa wicked.
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"The informant's name is Yoon-Hyun. He's the owner of the Union Hotel Group. He met an untimely death at the Union Hotel in Philadelphia. Many celebrities were at the reception, but nevertheless, there were few witnesses to the murder, and many of the facts don't add up. Yet one thing is for sure: he was involved with the Smith syndicate. Rumor has it that an incident that happened at the hotel was swept conveniently
under the rug."
Also, consider, in the Hand In Killer 7 notebook, he's listed as the Killer 7's first informant, meaning he'd be the go to guy in the 1950s to know what's what about the Smith Syndicate.
There's also symbolic importance. Yoon-Hyun gives you vague information as a remnant persona without the mask on. When you pay him, rather cheaply, with thick blood, he tells you the full details. Emir could have and I think did buy the info from Yoon.
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The other point I've read many different theories on is about Kun Lan/Iwazaru at the very end. What do you make of that reveal?
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mention his campus sweetheart. Oh, she was something! They were the perfect couple. He graduated from Columbia with an MBA. His opportunity was infinite. He could do whatever he
wanted with his life . . . but was he satisfied? No! Every night he would cry, begging the Lord; something deep within needed awakening. Then one day it happened....that moment, when the subconscious rises to the surface. Well, the way it triggered was very simple: it happened when his mother came on to him one night. As if the spirit of Jack the Ripper had taken over his body, he stabbed and stabbed until you couldn't tell who she was. You know what I think? An angel whispered
into his ear. The angel gave him the exta courage he needed, to give her the divine retribution she deserved."
Harman: "Sure she wasn't . . . a Hell's angel?"
Kun Lan: "I'm pretty sure she only had good intentions."
Harman: ". . . you really are a villain."
Kun Lan: "I had nothing to do with it . . . but I must admit, my memory has become a bit misty these days."
Killer 7 deals heavily with Japanese-American conflict. Consider Garcian. He's a black man, born in America, but raised with very Japanese ideals and stylings in Coburn Elementary, supposedly, acting on the will of others. He's a character of conflict between two different nations.
Believe, for a moment, that Kun Lan is talking about Emir, when he talks about the star quarterback. Here, Emir is the American ideal. But there's something inside of him that isn't right, that needs awakening. Kun Lan only mentions the mother, attempting to come onto her child, a taboo in pretty much every culture you can name, both Western and Eastern. Use this universal bit as the trigger to awaken that latent piece of Emir - an Eastern influence.
He gets it from Kun Lan. Harman is West, Kun Lan is East. Harman is a father figure at one point to Emir, principal of Coburn Elementary. Kun Lan is pretty much a literal father, if we infer some from him remembering this whole sordid affair.
Shit gets more complicated here.
Emir/Garcian is an American shell with a Japanese influence inside. Kun Lan is the Eastern influence, lingering inside of Garcian. Note that Iwazaru is presented in bondage - restricted, constrained. He's present, but he cannot do that much. Oh, he can talk to Emir/Garcian, warn him, and so on and so forth - but he really can't do jack shit.
When in the final mission, to kill the final smile, remember Harman being knocked over, not awake? In this state, and after Garcian has rediscovered his memories as Emir, the Eastern/Kun Lan influence, Iwazaru, is set loose, free to move about.
When Emir kills Iwazaru, he kills the influence of Kun Lan. He kills the past. Emir is no longer tied and bounded by the conflict of East vs. West represented in him.
There's more to it but holy shit it goes long.
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So I'm guessing that your favorite character is Garcian. The thing I love about him, aside from all the roles he plays in the plot, is the fact that when he has to face what he did, he's actually upset about it. He's remorseful. The whole game is based around death, violent death even, and yet this one assassin, above all others, has come to the point where he pretty much breaks down over his own treacherous past. It just caps the whole story off so perfectly.
Of course, the little Shanghai bit at the end makes everything that much sweeter. Kun Lan (I think... it may have been Harman, but same effect) did mention that their game got interrupted "again". I love circular plots.
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Garcian's life ties heavily into the influence of Japan and its relation with America. He's born in 1942 - when Japan is a strong EMPIRE, all warring and empiring and whatever you'd call it. He has a recorded death in 1952, if I'm remembering correctly, about the same time Japan is effectively cutting off the influence of the past, the empire, and becoming modern Japan, with influence from the west. Death and rebirth according to the strength of a country.
This is a plot analysis FAQ. (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/file/562551/38193) It is fucking IMMENSE. But very thorough. I love it. It explains a lot about the history of Japan and America, and how it may tie into Killer 7. It also gives good ideas on what the Yakumo may represent, and other good stuff. Suda 51 is fucking amazing.
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My personal favorite is Con, both for his character and for how much I love playing as him, followed by Kevin and Travis. I swear, the name alone is half the reason I like Travis Touchdown, though he's pretty kickass from his own merits.