Yotsuyu, the irredeemable monster

[Fenral]

Oh, goodie. People are coming back to the game in droves to offer up their own hot takes on plot details from years ago.

The entire point of her story is that you should empathize with her. She could have had a normal life, and the people of Doma were responsible for how she turned out. Even though what they did can't be undone, future generations (i.e. Isse) can still strive to do better, but only by directly confronting the wrongs of their forbears.

The idea that some people are just born monsters is old-fashioned, has been discredited for centuries, borders on thought-terminating cliche, and is historically peddled by people who are afraid themselves of being seen as anything other than a natural-born paragons of objective virtue, because they're afraid to acknowledge that the potential for evil lives inside all of us. Which, if I must remind the audience, has been a recurring theme in the Final Fantasy series from the very first game.

So it's not wrong to look inside yourself, think about the things in your own life that helped you form your own ideas of right and wrong, ask yourself if you might have done the same thing in her place, and maybe even say yes, you would.

[DPZ2]

and the people of Doma were responsible for how she turned out.

This can be so only if you are a pollster, using a minor subset of a group to predict behavior of the group as a whole.

The fact is, there are exactly three people in Doma who bear responsibility. And the proper response, if revenge is desired, would be exact vengeance on those three people.

[thegreatonemal]

This can be so only if you are a pollster, using a minor subset of a group to predict behavior of the group as a whole.

The fact is, there are exactly three people in Doma who bear responsibility. And the proper response, if revenge is desired, would be exact vengeance on those three people.

Her entire village knew what was going on. Punishing the people directly responsible is one thing but you can't say if the whole town knew and did nothing that they aren't to blame too. Nobody stood up for this women and everyone knew what was happening to her. No one is throwing the whole country in jail but their inaction led to her becoming the way she was. Only one person did try and it wasn't Gosetsu.

[DPZ2]

Her entire village knew what was going on. Punishing the people directly responsible is one thing but you can't say if the whole town knew and did nothing that they aren't to blame too. Nobody stood up for this women and everyone knew what was happening to her. No one is throwing the whole country in jail but their inaction led to her becoming the way she was. Only one person did try and it wasn't Gosetsu.

So, instead of punishing the people in the whole town, then, her vengeance could only be [not-quite-ever] satiated by doing similar things throughout the entirety of Doman and non-Doman domains?

Boy, those fisherfolk on the Ruby Sea (sooooooo close to Yanxia) must have really done a number on her, eh?

Yeah, feel sorry for her circumstances, but do not excuse "mass murder on a whim" by saying "well, the folks in this one town didn't come to her aid".

Unless, of course, you're in a novel written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, possibly. Then the motive of one of the main bad guys can be as simple as "but they called me the son of a [courtesan, but used in a not-so-good way]", resulting in untold doom and disaster for the Cultivation world, cleverly plotted and competently performed, but not quite as sadistic as Totsuya.

[Shuuchi]

Her entire village knew what was going on. Punishing the people directly responsible is one thing but you can't say if the whole town knew and did nothing that they aren't to blame too. Nobody stood up for this women and everyone knew what was happening to her. No one is throwing the whole country in jail but their inaction led to her becoming the way she was. Only one person did try and it wasn't Gosetsu.

You seem conflicted.
Inaction is a crime but not worthy of punishment?
Am I interpreting that correctly?

If you see a robbery in progress but did not stop it, does that make you guilty by association?

[thegreatonemal]

You seem conflicted.
Inaction is a crime but not worthy of punishment?
Am I interpreting that correctly?

If you see a robbery in progress but did not stop it, does that make you guilty by association?

No, you just don't understand the cultural lesson the story is conveying here. But to use your flawed example If I see a crime and I have the power and ability to stop it and don't I'm not gonna go to jail but if somebody dies during that crime some people are gonna be mad at me for not jumping in and helping. Might have been able to save somebody.

No one needed super powers to tell her step parents to go to hell or report them for abusing that child. Hell the entire village shaming them or if that one Garlen solider had come back and made good on his threat would have been enough. The guy who became her pimp could of said "I'm not letting you use her to repay your debts she clearly not cut out for this life." Or he could of taken her in and not pimped her out just getting her away from her clearly abusive parents. But he said "Look how hot she is I can't NOT let my clients run a train on her."

Her abuse of the Doman people is simply payback in the same manner she was treated. They all have to look at each other as they go through all the crap she puts them through. Them begging for help from their neighbors as their on the ground suffer and have to watch as those same friends and family ignore them in their hour of need. Yea of course if they actually tried to help they'd get punished or killed but that's not the point for her.

[Shuuchi]

No, you just don't understand the cultural lesson the story is conveying here. But to use your flawed example If I see a crime and I have the power and ability to stop it and don't I'm not gonna go to jail but if somebody dies during that crime some people are gonna be mad at me for not jumping in and helping. Might have been able to save somebody.

No one needed super powers to tell her step parents to go to hell or report them for abusing that child. Hell the entire village shaming them or if that one Garlen solider had come back and made good on his threat would have been enough. The guy who became her pimp could of said "I'm not letting you use her to repay your debts she clearly not cut out for this life." Or he could of taken her in and not pimped her out just getting her away from her clearly abusive parents. But he said "Look how hot she is I can't NOT let my clients run a train on her."

Her abuse of the Doman people is simply payback in the same manner she was treated. They all have to look at each other as they go through all the crap she puts them through. Them begging for help from their neighbors as their on the ground suffer and have to watch as those same friends and family ignore them in their hour of need. Yea of course if they actually tried to help they'd get punished or killed but that's not the point for her.

Once again, you seem conflicted.
First you say the Domans had the power to help Yotsuyu, but at the end you said they don’t.

Firstly, report abuse? To who, the Garleans?
You are demanding a lot out of a people living under brutal occupation.
And the soldier is exactly that - a soldier. He can’t be expected to stand guard over Yotsuyu 24/7.

Secondly, why would a pimp/mama care who works in the brothel?
In the world of the downtrodden, it’s eat or be eaten.
You are applying standards from those with means to those without.

The Domans were all individually suffering under their own circumstances.
Though she may have been especially misfortunate, Yotsuyu lamented her fate by blaming everyone else around her.

[thegreatonemal]

Once again, you seem conflicted.
First you say the Domans had the power to help Yotsuyu, but at the end you said they don’t.

Firstly, report abuse? To who, the Garleans?
You are demanding a lot out of a people living under brutal occupation.
And the soldier is exactly that - a soldier. He can’t be expected to stand guard over Yotsuyu 24/7.

Secondly, why would a pimp/mama care who works in the brothel?
In the world of the downtrodden, it’s eat or be eaten.
You are applying standards from those with means to those without.

The Domans were all individually suffering under their own circumstances.
Though she may have been especially misfortunate, Yotsuyu lamented her fate by blaming everyone else around her.

They did. The occupation didn't become brutal until she took control after the failed rebellion. So yes, the Domans could have spoken up about their own being brutal to one of their own.
You missed the point. He tried to get her step parents to get her an education because they were trying to send their son off to a fancy Garlen school and move up in the world. Lying to the empire about something might get that revoked. No one said he needed to be there 24/7
The guy was running a well off business, he didn't need her. This wasn't some downtrodden world. Their family was quite well off at this point.
Were they really suffering so much that nobody around could offer her any words or speak up for her. Really? Nah, they all knew what was happening and simply went about their lives. It's that callous indifference that made her mad at Domans and which she repaid when she got power.

[DPZ2]

No, you just don't understand the cultural lesson the story is conveying here.

You then go on to teach a 'cultural lesson' using 21st century not-yet-100%-certified morals and laws. "Report them for abusing the child" - to whom, and what for? Children were (and still are, in some places) property to be disposed of as the parents see fit. Female children more so.

The term "pimp" is a bit 16th Century, which is closer than "madam", which is ever so 19th Century. Both associations are a bit on the shady side, but not necessarily illegal, depending on the culture involved. In certain times, and in certain cultures, the owners of sex slaves were actually on the right side of society.

Does it make it right in the 21st Century. Not in my eyes. Should it provide an excuse for Random Murder and Wanton Sadism against an entire country (and other countries ruled by the same Mad Person? Not in my eyes. Should I condone the behaviour of said Mad Person just because they've led a terrible life and finally have the Power to cut loose? No.

[thegreatonemal]

You then go on to teach a 'cultural lesson' using 21st century not-yet-100%-certified morals and laws. "Report them for abusing the child" - to whom, and what for? Children were (and still are, in some places) property to be disposed of as the parents see fit. Female children more so.

The term "pimp" is a bit 16th Century, which is closer than "madam", which is ever so 19th Century. Both associations are a bit on the shady side, but not necessarily illegal, depending on the culture involved. In certain times, and in certain cultures, the owners of sex slaves were actually on the right side of society.

Does it make it right in the 21st Century. Not in my eyes. Should it provide an excuse for Random Murder and Wanton Sadism against an entire country (and other countries ruled by the same Mad Person? Not in my eyes. Should I condone the behaviour of said Mad Person just because they've led a terrible life and finally have the Power to cut loose? No.

Was there a point to any of that. Because you straight up missed the point I was making and did whatever this was.