[4.4 Spoilers] That hilarious Y'shtola Cutscene...

[Anonymoose]

Guilty.

Even the dev. team acted (LIVE letter Q&A) like it was self-evidence that Magnai and Sadu were destined to end up together, but too stubborn oblivious to actually make any progress on it.

When I saw them in the trailer, I thought for sure they were going back to tie that off nicely, but this was so much better. Not only does it capture the pair's core essence well, it plays off the same trope as Carvallain and Rhoswen (in spite of my headcanon that they've been occasionally hooking up and fighting in cycles since at least '62).

But what made the joke for me was how Y'shtola's everyday personality (reserved, professional, concise, soul-crushingly observant of you motives and insecurities; no doubt a result of spending her adolescence alone with Matoya) so authentically swung through the whole Steppe dynamic like a wrecking ball. I for one think she's hilarious, especially as she grows more comfortable occasionally throwing deadpan shade for her own amusement.

[Iscah]

When I saw them in the trailer, I thought for sure they were going back to tie that off nicely, but this was so much better. Not only does it capture the pair's core essence well, it plays off the same trope as Carvallain and Rhoswen (in spite of my headcanon that they've been occasionally hooking up and fighting in cycles since at least '62).

I'm not sure they do play off the same trope, or at least not in the same way (which would be boring, I guess). But I like Carvallain and Rhoswen, and never found Magnai and Sadu that enjoyable - or picked up on any suggestion they're "meant to be". I thought we were sailing towards Magnai/Cirina by the end of the main-game Azim Steppe arc, actually.

I find Carvallain and Rhoswen funny because of the "blatant denial" running theme of their interactions with you (particularly once I'd caught onto the underlying truth to appreciate it). Rhoswen is absolutely not interested in Carvallain. Carvallain is absolutely not from Ishgard. Someday the whole thing may come crashing down, but for now it's fun to watch the dance.

Magnai and Sadu.... just don't seem to like each other very much. On top of that, Magnai is fixated with his perfect image of "his Nhaama", and Sadu doesn't show any sign of being interested in him. Unless I've missed something, there doesn't seem to be anything to it beyond the "they hate each other, so clearly they're meant for each other!" trope.

[Anonymoose]

I'm not sure they do play off the same trope, or at least not in the same way

I think you're mostly right, and also that we're just focused on different levels of analysis, lol. (Yours being more technically specific / accurate.)

Both pairs, by the way the devs talk about them, seem to be conceptualized as a matching pair, but one that will never actually be together - just for very different reasons. Carvallain and Rhoswen are much more obvious. They yell about wanting to kill one another and fight all the time, but we've seen everything from Carvallain risking his life to rescue her from the Battle of Carteneau to Rhoswen outright baking him a Valentione's Day treat. These moments just never hit them both at the same time and universally go sideways. However, this shows that they are aware of these complicated feelings.

This is not true on the Steppe.
Magnai and Sadu are oblivious to a connection that the game's writers (and many of its players) have suggested

Q: Do you have plans to implement quests where Magnai will find his moon?
A: There might be a quest with Magnai and Sadu, but only the Dawn Father knows.

It's all in the Steppe dynamic. Magnai just happens to be Oronir, Sadu just happens to be Dotharl, the Oronir and Dotharl just happen to be bitter rivals. (Just like the Kraken's Arms and the Sanguine Sirens, in spite of the radically different tones of these organizations.) Moreover, the traditions and customs of each tribe have some different values and traits that express success. Magnai and Sadu are exemplary members of their own tribe but worthy of being criticized by one another ... and they take every opportunity to do so because they are rivals.

On rare occasions, these circumstances are muted and their shared love of battle shines through, and for a brief moment it's clear how much thye have in common, how well they work together, and that maybe, maybe... The paradox is that this connection can only be fully realized by upsetting the local dynamic. (Just like in Limsa Lominsa.)

(In the beginning, Azim and Nhaama weren't very fond of one another, either, if you recall.)