On Yotsuyu

From the beginning of Stormblood, I've fount Yotsuyu's character to be problematic. I'm not fond of the "Abuse make you evil" trope in general, but I've seen it done well. Unfortunately, I don't think this is one of those instances. While I understand the idea that Yotsuyu's story shows that Doman society was deeply flawed in ways that had nothing to do with the Garlean occupation, it comes across as giving Yotsuyu a pass for the atrocities she committed. Yes, her life was awful, but is that the fault of the poor guy she killed because he wouldn't shoot his own parents? What about Isse and his sister, who were terrorized by Imperial soldiers under Yotsuyu's command; should they pay for what happened to her long before they were born? And now that she's got amnesia, it's looking like she'll never be held to account for her crimes.

At the same time, the scene with the former brothel owner was frankly appalling. None of the Doman NPCs--Yugiri, Gotestsu, and Hien--seemed particularly upset that one of the Resistance fighters was involved in human trafficking. Hien flat-out says "Well, since I've known him he's been a good man." Really? If you're going to go that route, then at least make the revelation have weight, and not just have the characters say "Huh, didn't know that," and move on to the next story beat.

For me, the issues with Yotsuyu's arc are all the more glaring when compared to Fordola's. She also suffered trauma at a young age, but she doesn't come across as a victim; she has agency, and while the choices she makes aren't good ones, her motivations are more complex than "I've been abused so I'm going to turn into an abuser." She also has to live with the consequences of her actions in a truly horrifying way. I felt like she was a fully-realized character, and not just a collection of overused tropes.