Addressing the Recent Controversy Surrounding TFC and the Debate Over baidao’s Remarks
When Communication Devolves into War, We All Become Prisoners of Prejudice
What began as a discussion about character storylines has ultimately spiraled into cyberbullying rife with regional and national biases. If this is what people call the "charm" of the internet, then it is a most absurd one indeed.
The entire incident started with nothing more than a girl’s anxious inquiry. Baidao’s comments were never directed at the original poster’s analysis; rather, she turned to a dubbing artist in the comment section—someone regarded as a semi-official representative—to ask if romantic undertones might develop between Harlequin and Pierrot, while openly voicing her fears and concerns. In both her post and replies to others in the comment section, she repeatedly emphasized that she had no intention of hindering Neko’s creative process; she merely hoped that similar ambiguous hints would not appear in other story routes. Yet this restrained plea was completely twisted out of context. She was labeled a "creator oppressor," a "meddler in game development," and a "homophobe," mocked as a "petulant child throwing a tantrum because things didn’t go her way."
Some claimed she was trying to control Neko’s game and force him to revise storylines she disliked—what arrogant nonsense this was. The respect and admiration Baidao has for Neko have always been evident: she has created numerous derivative works based on his games, and when Neko was previously targeted by cyberbullying, she not only spoke out domestically to call for an end to the attacks but also comforted him privately, a kindness Neko deeply appreciated. That two such gentle individuals have now been thrust into the eye of the storm due to a misunderstanding is truly lamentable.
People were quick to anger at the mere suspicion that Neko was being wronged, rushing to confront Baidao under the guise of "standing up for justice." Yet they forgot that every word Baidao wrote was born of pain and overwhelming negative emotions. Words have always carried little weight online, as exemplified by the cruel comment directed at her: "No one cares what this twenty-year-old girl is thinking. After all, you do realize you’re a public figure, don’t you?"
With that one sentence, a "war" erupted. As I watch this farce unfold, I’ve come to recognize the behavioral pattern of both opposing sides: we hurl insults at each other, neither bothering to understand the other’s stance nor respecting their interpretations. We are eager to argue, yet unwilling to pause and communicate calmly. We dismiss each other as biased and unreasonable, leading to a vicious cycle of insults, attacks, defamation, and abuse. Who still remembers that all we initially wanted was a peaceful, rational conversation? In the end, everyone lost sight of their original intent, driven only by the desire to "win" this meaningless conflict.
To make matters more absurd, the core of the dispute has shifted repeatedly with each retelling and misinterpretation, morphing into countless bizarre claims. Some argue that the intense backlash from opponents stems from homophobia rooted in cultural and environmental differences. But this assertion is both shallow and ridiculous. Every country has its share of ignorant and backward-minded people, just as it has open-minded and progressive ones. We are all ordinary human beings, shaped merely by different upbringings and educational backgrounds. When stereotypes run rampant, can we truly claim to be engaging in equal dialogue?
People from one side brand those from the other as selfish and violent; in turn, they are dismissed as naive and narrow-minded. The walls of prejudice grow taller by the day. I can’t help but feel a bitter amusement at the heart of this controversy—it is a tragedy destined to repeat itself. History and warfare have long warned us how fragile trust and peace between humans can be, yet farces like this continue to play out time and again.
This real-life scenario reminds me vividly of the first encounter with Pierrot in the game: he was bullied simply because people held preconceived biases against him—tall in stature, eccentric in appearance, and silent by nature. Labeled an "abnormality" just for being different, he became a target of unwarranted attacks. Such is the nature of humanity: we delude ourselves into thinking that ostracizing those who are different is an act of "upholding justice," blind to how our arrogance and ignorance only serve to reveal our own pathetic selves. We tell ourselves we are doing "good," while in reality, we are wielding words like knives against an innocent person. This quarrel has laid bare the deep-seated prejudices of both sides—we are all such pitiful creatures.
Some may wonder why this controversy has sparked such fierce reactions. Please forgive us foreigners for our limited expressive abilities, and for the cold, restrictive definitions found in dictionaries across different languages. Even in daily life, misunderstandings arise when we rely solely on words to communicate; when filtered through the barrier of translation software, conveying the warmth and emotion behind those words becomes nearly impossible. It is precisely because of this that Baidao’s comment section, private messages, and repost replies have been flooded with malicious "well-wishes."
She was bombarded with private messages containing questions like: "Are you homophobic?" "If you don’t like the game, then get out!" "Why play it if you hate it so much? Why not make your own game instead?" "Are you discriminating against this community? You’re so rude and disgusting!" As her friend, I want to address what seemed like the most genuine question among them: Baidao is not homophobic. In fact, she is bisexual—she has had both girlfriends and boyfriends in the past. It almost sounds like a joke: online, she created a male persona to ship herself with Pierrot; offline, she is a woman who also likes women. By any stretch of the imagination, the label of "homophobe" could not be further from the truth.
This line of questioning is no different from confronting someone face-to-face and demanding to know their sexual orientation—it is saturated with malice, prejudice, and provocation.
Words are truly incredible things. I wonder if anyone has noticed that throughout all this, I have maintained a calm tone, simply stating my observations as I watch this quarrel escalate.
Based on the limited information we gleaned through translation software, we can piece together the following plot thread: Harlequin has been secretly in love with Pierrot from the very beginning, consumed by jealousy when he realized Pierrot’s affections lay with Colombina. His constant antagonism toward Pierrot and deliberate attempts to get close to the player—every single action—were driven by his obsession with Pierrot. Eventually, this love curdled into hatred, yet Harlequin clung to it fiercely, believing that hatred lasts longer than love. At the very least, it ensured that Pierrot’s gaze would remain fixed on him, always. As he told Pierrot in the game, "Your eyes belong only to me now"—even if those words were laced with hatred, he would have cherished that moment all the same.
The core of this controversy, however, revolves around the polyamorous storyline Neko intends to add. To be fair, polyamory is hardly an uncommon trope in storytelling; many of us even enjoy it. Neko’s desire to explore this narrative direction is perfectly valid.
The crux of the issue lies in this: what kind of polyamorous relationship are we talking about here? Is it one where Harlequin and Pierrot set aside their past animosity and rekindle their friendship, bound together by their shared love for the player? Or is it a tangled love triangle—Harlequin loving both Pierrot and the player, Pierrot reciprocating Harlequin’s feelings while also loving the player, and the player caring for both of them? The latter is simply beyond our ability to accept. In our understanding, Pierrot’s love for the player is deep and unwavering, and this kind of storyline is far outside the realm of our expectations.
Even so, we are still willing to be understanding. Neko has his own creative vision, and he is fully entitled to refine his work as he sees fit—we have never sought to control that.
What truly pushed Baidao and those who share her stance to the brink of collapse, though, was a "response" from the past. You may not be aware that Neko was once targeted by cyberbullying simply for sharing a post depicting a romantic relationship between Pierrot and Harlequin—and that was when the seeds of this current conflict were sown. At the time, when Baidao reached out to comfort Neko privately, she asked him if he supported the idea of pairing these two characters together. Neko’s reply was: "I just love and support this kind of fan-created content." His words implied that he had no intention of writing a romantic storyline for these two characters himself.
It was this response that put their minds at ease: those people continued playing the game, and Baidao kept creating derivative works for her favorite character. In other words, neither she nor they ever anticipated having to confront such a plot development—after all, Baidao’s love for Pierrot is sincere and unwavering. So when she learned that romantic undertones might be introduced between Harlequin and Pierrot, her breakdown was entirely understandable.
She posted her thoughts while grappling with overwhelming emotions, yet her words were as restrained as possible, and her tone and replies remained gentle throughout. For this reason, please stop being so harsh toward her. The claim that she incited her fans to cyberbully Neko is utterly baseless. While it is true that she has a sizeable fanbase, this does not mean she must remain silent when something she cares deeply about is at stake—and this aligns perfectly with Neko’s own stance. He is free to express his creative ideas, just as she is free to voice her anxieties. Must she create a secret account just to vent her frustrations?
Furthermore, she never once tagged Neko directly in her posts. She merely turned to the person in the comment section who "might represent Neko’s views"—the dubbing artist—and asked: "Is this true? Are you telling the truth?" All she ever wanted was a clear answer. Those who accuse her of deliberately using her fans to fuel cyberbullying can finally stop. To this day, she continues to emphasize domestically that people should refrain from insulting or pressuring Neko, urging everyone to remain rational. She has even suggested that if people truly cannot accept the new storyline, they should simply walk away and enjoy the game in their own little circles.
In fact, Neko and Baidao have already been in contact, and their communication has concluded on a friendly note.
Having said all this, I believe my core message has been made clear. Finally, I would like to address these so-called "righteous" well-wishers.
I will not dwell on whether you made inaccurate remarks about Baidao out of misunderstanding; instead, I will focus solely on your actions. You claim to abhor the "cyberbullying" you accuse Baidao of perpetrating against Neko, yet your current behavior is exactly the kind of conduct you claim to despise. In Baidao’s comment section, on other posts, and in her private messages, you use words to fan the flames of this violent controversy and make it escalate further. Your motives and sarcasm are also a form of pressure and attack, flaunting your "victory" and parading your so-called "moral high ground."
You have positioned yourselves as her opponents, hiding behind the guise of "supporting the official team" and "standing alongside Neko." This sense of entitlement has laid bare your deep-seated malice. No one thought to spare the "naive, childish girl" you speak of a shred of dignity or a way out. Even though she was aware that some people held opposing views, even though she saw others creating content favoring the pairing of Harlequin and Pierrot, she never once pushed her own opinions on them or in their spaces, nor did she ever act with disrespect toward anyone. The girl you dismiss as "overbearing and crazy" is far more tolerant than you will ever be.
I do not seek to deny the original intention behind your defense of Neko, but I cannot condone your personal attacks against Baidao. Even if Baidao’s words may have seemed somewhat intense to some, she never once attacked anyone in her original post. But you? You have dissected her character from every angle—her life experience, her age, her mindset, her stance—twisting her words out of context to belittle her and tear her down completely. By contrasting yourselves with her, you parade your so-called "maturity" and "superiority" in front of everyone, adopting such a condescending attitude that it sends a chill down one’s spine.
As I stated earlier, communication between people is like looking into a mirror—how you perceive others reflects nothing but your true self. All your assumptions and criticisms only serve to reveal one thing: you harbor inexplicable, unprovoked malice toward this girl.
Watching people from all over the world spout comments that are nothing but pure negative emotion in the name of their own "justice" and "anger," I scoff, thinking only one thing: you are utterly hypocritical.
This incident offers us an opportunity to reflect anew and learn a vital life lesson—language is a weapon of immense power.
I welcome discussion, but I will not bother responding to any comments that are nothing more than mindless, emotional rants.
yousharknotpass
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