Diversity and Representation in Media

It's a lot more realistic in the 2019 series than in previous adaptations since Hyakkimaru lacks the telepathy and various other supernatural powers, but it's still not that realistic.

It helps that 2019 Hyakkimaru was "only" missing 12 body parts instead of 48.

Edited by M84 on May 8th 2019 at 10:26:38 PM

It's not perfect because he essentially becomes Daredevil later on, but I really loved the initial chapters that proceeded Ignis becoming blind in Final Fantasy XV.

Like, it really hits you. He's there trying to keep up with the rest of the party, but your movement speed is hamstrung by needing to wait around for him, since the others call you a dick if you run too far ahead of him. He's aware of how useless he is. And when you stop for the night it dawns on you that after so much of the game with him cooking you these delicious food porn gorgeous meals, that you now have to eat these depressing tins of beans and canned meat. You realize that the thing this guy loves and is truly passionate about, cooking, has been taken from him.

Edited by GNinja on May 8th 2019 at 2:28:12 PM

That was one of the game's stronger moments from an emotional standpoint, and a really good example of using gameplay to make the story hit harder.

But Daredevil powerset comes with a lot of set-backs, the series makes it pretty clear it took years for him to get the hang of it, and if he's even so much as slightly concussed he's basically useless physically, as Season 2 and 3 put a fair amount of emphasis on.

And while Ignis does becomes Japanese Daredevil, his initial struggles aren't swept over the rug.

Wouldn't this count as someone overcoming their disability, then? Granted in the case of Daredevil the series could've put some more time showing his training from his teenage years, because the editing makes it look like he spend about two weeks until he could go around doing generic ninja flipouts, but still, I do know several blind people who love Daredevil, including a pretty big name in the Brazilian internet called Lucas Radaelli, a programmer currently working for Google.

Who did a pretty neat interview with Charlie Cox and Deborah Ann-Woll a few years ago:

Skip to 15:06 for the relevant part.

For the case of specifically Daredevil. He does have to learn and train over the years, but as you said, we don't really get to see it, but also his senses are superhuman. He's not just someone who overcomes being blind. He gets super hearing, smelling and sonar vision.

Granted, but at first those super senses are a pretty heavy case of Blessed with Suck, as the sensory overload keeps Matt in constant disconfort and pain.

It's part of the reason I wanted some more focus on his early years: to show just how grueling putting his super-senses into practical use was.

See, the problem I have with "Daredevil's blindness gave him superpowers" is that it isn't really the case: the way people put makes it seem like the man becomes a superhero fresh out of the hospital, when in truth it took a tremendous amount of effort to truly adjust, which is far closer to the general experience of people who acquire some manner of disability in life is.

Some would argue that that is splitting hairs, and fair enough, under less skilled writers that is very much the case (right, Ben Affleck?), but I argue the concept has far more nuance than a lot of critics give it credit for.

Though in the interest of honesty: Daredevil is one of my favorite fictional characters, regardless of medium, so I cannot deny there's some personal bias on my part.

With Daredevil there's the added benefit that some blind people have been able to develop a form of echo-location, so he's a fantasy grounded on reality.

It's not the blindness that gives him superpowers. It's the chemicals that blinded him in the first place that did it.

The chemicals seem to have the effect of enhancing senses in general. If the way he had been exposed to them hadn't robbed him of his sight, his eyesight would likely have been enhanced as well.

In the comics at least, one of the villains he faced was an assassin who was exposed to the same chemicals and got enhanced senses too...except he wasn't blinded.

It's been occasionally implied that the chemicals merely helped him "awaken" and anyone with sufficient training can "awaken" their senses in a similar manner (see: Stick, Master Izo).

I have a friend who has paranoid schizophrenia with a side helping of synesthesia, and she relates heavily to DareDevil because of his super-senses. She attests that what he has is basically just a form of synesthesia.

She, herself, has something akin to a "radar-sense". For instance, she's next to impossible to sneak around, because footsteps appear in her vision as splashes of red.

It's, uh, not all it's cracked up to be. Murdock doesn't talk about the fact that he is keenly aware of everyone who is evacuating their bowels in his vicinity, but my friend would sell her right arm to stop having to see it.

Edited by TobiasDrake on May 10th 2019 at 7:45:25 AM

The same thing would arguably apply to any character with Super-Senses if they can't shut them off. Like Wolverine.

I mean, isn't it kinda implied superheros come with additional minor superpowers that help them deal with the side effects of their main ones?

Like, super strength doesn't usually mean you could stop car ramming at you

Whether or not they have all of the Required Secondary Powers depends entirely on the writer.

Edited by M84 on May 11th 2019 at 12:14:18 AM

Yeah is not of those things a writer can have fun us.

Apparently the Wachowskis are working on another entry in the Matrix franchise.

Aw Shit, Here we go again.

20 years too late and not to mention, didn’t both of them completely blow their credibility in Hollywood between Speed Racer, Sense 8, and the film that sent Mila Kunis to a lifetime of shilling whiskey for Jim Bean, Jupiter Ascending? Who is giving them money?

Edited by Beatman1 on May 10th 2019 at 2:40:38 PM

> Who is giving them money?

Clearly they still have some of that Matrix money left over

Jupiter Ascending is delightful camp and I enjoyed it enormously. I also heard good things about Sens 8.

Edited by wisewillow on May 10th 2019 at 11:43:45 AM

There are no good things to say about Sense 8 except that Netflix will spend a lot of money on a show. And Jupiter Ascending was awful. Not to mention all those projects were financial flops.

Do we need a new Matrix story? I feel like as convoluted as it got, they said everything that needed to be said.

Hence my going in on the financials. Even if people liked those films (Speed Racer in particular has a lot of defenders) they all bombed at the box office.

Edited by Beatman1 on May 10th 2019 at 2:47:16 PM

There’s these things called opinions. They vary

Sense 8 was critically acclaimed despite it's cancellation.

So many people liked Sense8 that Netflix acquiesced to a finale movie.

It’s a surprise for me to hear that they’re back to film, since screenwriter Cargill had claimed they were both planning to retire. But I guess the writing urge returned.

Edited by Tuckerscreator on May 10th 2019 at 12:16:01 PM

I wouldn't say no to an Animatrix style project though.

Sense 8 had a great concept and a terrible convoluted execution. Which is kind of a pattern. I totally got lost and only watched it till the end because it was the finale anyway. Which didn't really make any sense to me. I had literally no idea what was going on other than there being a lot of wish fulfilment in it.