elezen enthusiast

man i’ve been thinking about stormblood. and how korean and chinese cultural influences are barely present in fantasy asia. and how the plot of the expansion was “japanese-coded country fights off western imperialism for the Sake of the rest of asia ”. bc that was how japan framed their actions of colonizing other asian countries, in addition to trying to homogenize them through language, clothing, etc. like literally the way doma is. 

i think a lot of ppl did not pick up on these vibes, me included the first time through. i was excited to have the plot be about resisting imperialism but it really falls apart if you think about it through that lens. there’s a line where hien excuses the guy who trafficked yotsuyu and implies its forgivable if the guy is committed to the cause like-- in reference to what they’re trying to evoke with japan’s imperial history its really. uncomfortable.