This story is really underwhelming - it's opened to mixed reviews.

[SirShady]

I'm not sure it's fair to compare them either. Lyse is more a cardboard cutout than a character. She's incredibly bland. Wuk Lamat might be a walking, talking collection of anime tropes, but at least she has a personality. Even if it's one I find grating at times.

I feel the opposite. Lyse's development might have been lacking, and the story didn't really earn the pay-off of her becoming a political leader, but she is far more interesting and fun to be around than Wuk Lamat. I'd rather have Lyse's brashness and occasional airheaded moment than watch Wuk Lamat accidently fall down or cry about something she doesn't like for the sake of "comedy" or give an emboldened speech about the power of peace and friendship for the 30th time in a row. SHE'S JUST SO QUIRKY!

[PercibelTheren]

I feel the opposite. Lyse's development might have been lacking, and the story didn't really earn the pay-off of her becoming a political leader, but she is far more interesting and fun to be around than Wuk Lamat. I'd rather have Lyse's brashness and occasional airheaded moment than watch Wuk Lamat accidently fall down or cry about something she doesn't like for the sake of "comedy" or give an emboldened speech about the power of peace and friendship for the 30th time in a row. SHE'S JUST SO QUIRKY!

It just comes down to taste, I guess. That being said, I like neither character. In Stormblood, at least I had Alisae being my sassy little sister to carry me through it. In Dawntrail, she seems to have lost her entire personality somehow.

[Verathel]

It just comes down to taste, I guess. That being said, I like neither character. In Stormblood, at least I had Alisae being my sassy little sister to carry me through it. In Dawntrail, she seems to have lost her entire personality somehow.

It came out for a brief second in the third zone...If you talk to her just before she goes to the village near that giant crevice she says

"Just to let you know if you push me I will be very cross with you" it was very Alisae and desperately needed good writing in regards to real humor per unique characters.

[Raven2014]

I'm not sure it's fair to compare them either. Lyse is more a cardboard cutout than a character. She's incredibly bland. Wuk Lamat might be a walking, talking collection of anime tropes, but at least she has a personality. Even if it's one I find grating at times.

Not saying I agree with your assessment since I think Wuk is worse than Lyse, but even if you're right it shows the problem with over exposition. Even if Wuk had only half the flaw of Lyse, they're being rubbed at our face three times as hard.

Frankly, the story would have been much better off if it was structures differently. Instead of us becoming the exclusive babysiter for Wuk, the scion could have been something like independent observer/adviser to *all* the claimants. Not only it reduces the amount of over the top exposure to Wuk, it would help giving additional insight to the other NPC that I feels still desperately needed in the end.

[Loggos]

How is it possible that Bakool Ja Ja

wasn't disqualified after unleashing the most terrible beast on the very land he wants to rule if even fighting an elector removes you from the competition? Calamities and destruction of your country are apparently within the rules...? Would it be different if Valigarmanda had hurt an elector? Would that count as inderect aggression against them?
Nobody outside of our group cares that he just set this legendary foe free and hurt civilians. We are confronting him about it during our cookoff and the village chief is just like "Anyways..."

This is so nonsensical...

[jameseoakes]

How is it possible that Bakool Ja Ja

wasn't disqualified after unleashing the most terrible beast on the very land he wants to rule if even fighting an elector removes you from the competition? Calamities and destruction of your country are apparently within the rules...? Would it be different if Valigarmanda had hurt an elector? Would that count as inderect aggression against them?
Nobody outside of our group cares that he just set this legendary foe free and hurt civilians. We are confronting him about it during our cookoff and the village chief is just like "Anyways..."

This is so nonsensical...

Yeah I just hit that bit and I can't understand what is going with the plot, the writing doesn't even seem to be trying to keep me from thinking the story makes anysense

[CosmoBabylonia]

This is so nonsensical...

You know the part at the start where everyone goes off to collect their Pokemon gym badges? Are we to assume each location only starts the contest once all contestants have arrived? What if 1 person decide to start elsewhere first, and come to the one we finished later on? Does that mean that tribe have to pretend they were never helped? Do they just demolish everything that we've built for them for the sake of testing another challenger?

[Loggos]

You know the part at the start where everyone goes off to collect their Pokemon gym badges? Are we to assume each location only starts the contest once all contestants have arrived? What if 1 person decide to start elsewhere first, and come to the one we finished later on? Does that mean that tribe have to pretend they were never helped? Do they just demolish everything that we've built for them for the sake of testing another challenger?

(The giant chief

camping on that mountain for three weeks in a row thinking a challenger could arrive any time now.)

Not even the most nonsensical thing you will run into I'm afraid. Some part of the story is just beyond bad. It has a lot of convenience triggers and 180 turn with zero foreshadowing. I'm convince this is not the same senior writers that wrote ShB and EW, more like a team of intern or apprentices.

"Please look forward to it." I'm not looking forward to it. :')

[Raven2014]

How is it possible that Bakool Ja Ja

wasn't disqualified after unleashing the most terrible beast on the very land he wants to rule if even fighting an elector removes you from the competition? Calamities and destruction of your country are apparently within the rules...? Would it be different if Valigarmanda had hurt an elector? Would that count as inderect aggression against them?
Nobody outside of our group cares that he just set this legendary foe free and hurt civilians. We are confronting him about it during our cookoff and the village chief is just like "Anyways..."

This is so nonsensical...

Not even the most nonsensical thing you will run into I'm afraid. Some part of the story is just beyond bad. It has a lot of convenience triggers and 180 turn with zero foreshadowing. I'm convince this is not the same senior writers that wrote ShB and EW, more like a team of intern or apprentices.