As long as there’s no sympathizing with their distaste in the Little Busters- I’m fine. But anything with that just won’t sit right with me.
They don’t need to be pictured as wonderful people. It’s not like this is about bending the situation to make it seem like all their evildoings were just an unfortunate misunderstanding.
But I’d like to avoid having them remain one-dimensional villain characters who are evil just because that’s their role and sole purpose. People who are evil for the sake of being evil are kindergarten-level characters.
Believable characters have a background, a personality and reasons for doing what they’re doing and how they became the way they are.
Some kids get violent because of family issues.
Some kids start bullying others because they’re afraid they might get bullied, so they strike first.
Some kids rebel because they can’t keep up with their studies.
Some kids just want more attention.
A tragic backstory for Takamiya and Katsusawa is not the only way to go. My suggestion is merely making good use of the material at hand, incorporating Katsusawa’s threats directly into her backstory, thus creating a connection, as well as delivering some plausible explanations for their current situation.
I don’t think you understood me.
They can have a story that grows them into awful people due to weaknesses or poor choices- But ‘sympathizing’ with them other than feeling somewhat bad for whatever their past was that created their foul attitudes won’t work -for me-. It’s the sympathizing part that doesn’t cut it -for me-.
Could have just left it at this, dude.
Generally when writers give a villain character a sad backstory, it’s not so that the reader sympathizes, it’s to add depth to the character.
That was what I was saying. Adding to them is fine. I understand that.
I was replying to the idea of sympathy though, which has been brought up many times.
I know it’s not supposed to be for sympathy- That’s the point I was making.
It’s not that I dislike tragic backstories but I feel that the backstory you guys are getting at are more to show what happened to Takamiya and Katsusawa and why they do those things.
What I mean is whether or not tragic backstory happens, Suginami’s personality and character depth would remain the same, IMO. Unless you fit in that the theoretical bullying is what caused her to be shy in the first place.
Otherwise, character depth for the other two, I feel, don’t really add benefit to the story.
That’s a valid point. If Mutsumi’s role in this backstory is too small, then the backstory is taking up more space than it’s worth. We can’t have Mutsumi standing in the background while some other characters are stepping into the spotlight in her own route, now can we? xD
But you are forgetting that Suginami is central to this backstory, and will probably be told from Suginami’s perspective as there is no other way of seamlessly fitting it into the story in a Key fashion.
I think you are focusing on the wrong part of the thread’s ideas.
Big happy group > Suginami is bullied > her friends start to get bullied as well > friends blame Suginami > group falls apart > Katsusawa, Takamiya and Yamazaki keep her around for some reason (most likely as a scapegoat) > Little Busters storyline.
The idea focuses on Suginami a lot. The only development of the others would be through things they utter behind Suginami’s back during the flashback.
But that still doesn’t change anything about Mutsumi.
Even with Mutsumi at the center of the story, told from her perspective, nothing about her would change. If we say she used to be bullied, there’s nothing new to it. It’s obvious that she’s a victim-type. The way the reader perceives her would remain unchanged (Pitying Mutsumi is already a thing).
So this backstory has little use unless it introduces some changes to her character, directly or indirectly.
For example, what Pepe said, if Mutsumi’s current personality is the result of bullying. Or maybe if she has now decided to not make new friends because she’s afraid they would get targeted by whoever feels like bullying her. Or if Mutsumi is unable to make new friends because their shared experiences made Takamiya and Katsusawa distrustful and rotten to the point where they always start bullying anyone who comes near her (an issue which would need to be resolved during her route. It’s admittedly very indirect, though).
Girl wants a group of friends - Has traumatic past and feels that anyone that gets close to her will be bullied and taken away from her. She starts a relationship with Riki, but then starts to get hesitant about it. Naturally, Riki wants to know why, and wants Suginami to trust him.
You say we don’t learn anything new about her… but that’s wrong. What is the obvious regret of a shy girl? Shyness, of course~ What is the backstory? It is a reason for her shy behavior. If you know the reason, you can help.
Why does the backstory have to directly influence Suginami’s current character? Why can’t it influence Riki, who then influences Suginami’s character?
Riki saying he wouldn’t leave her even if he was bullied could be the main idea, but he’d have to stand up and prove it.
Don’t forget that Litbus routes are about Riki growing stronger alongside the heroines.
All of this is getting taken pretty far away from my initial ideas, though. The point of the route is that it isn’t about Riki, but about Suginami. She’s the protagonist. She’s working against the world to grant her wishes.
People seem pretty set on making Suginami a victim of bullying and her friends her enemies, but I’m not sure I can get behind that. Why can’t her friends get some time in the spotlight? Who cares if it’s a distraction?
I’m just not a fan of Suginami being a protagonist really…
The rest of Litbus is all Riki as a protagonist. Why would it change? @.@
Besides, most of my posts are just rebuttals 
Someone’s gotta keep Naoki entertained~ Ahaha~
I’m down with the whole “if it’s fan-made, it’s badly made” idea. Taka isn’t an optimist~!
Yo man, I’m completely behind ‘they’re actually her god damn friends’, but I don’t like how people are set on making them victims, horrible people can have not horrible friends too, you can make friends with people early on, turn out widely different, and still stick with them.
I was buds with a guy for years, even after he took a turn for the douchebag, I didn’t cut ties until later.
Riki is the protagonist of Little Busters, Suginami is completely detached from The Little Busters. Completely separate from the actual plot.
I think the effect he’s going for is that it’s supposed to feel outcasted from the rest, because that’s what Suginami is.
I just want the romance to be the biggest driving force more than anything, and I think adding in other events would drive the story away from that. Because, really, Little Busters totally lacks romance (at least compared to other Key VNs)
Granted I am a bit biased, but I can’t help it
I think Kanon gets what I’m going for, he pretty much summed up my thought process.
Theeen, I think that’s a terrible idea x.x But do what you wish~
We need Aspirety’s next chunk of ideas in order to move on
Ooh, pressure’s on! I’m off to the drawing board, time to win everyone back.
Since the thread kinda got taken over by the fan route project, I decided to give it it’s own thread after all.
Now we can get back to using this thread to appreciate Suginami
