The recent discussion on FF4 and the recent developments in the manga version of Naruto made me think about this. There are so much story that we take granted only because the author said so. We'll of course ignore any gameplay related thing like how every bad guy is utterly incapable of kiling the good guys despite the overwhelming advantage.
Let's start with FF4. Everyone is probably familiar with the fact that Golbez was brainwashed by Zemus and was actually Cecil's brother. These events are true only because the author said so. There is no possible way anyone can come to the above conclusions without being told. Such plot devices are annoying, but I can stand them because there is also no possible way to refute them. Certainly nowhere in FF4 says Golbez can't possibly be brainwashed by someone or that Golbez can't possibly be Cecil's brother. There isn't even anything that says Rydia can't be Cecil's long lost sister if the game chooses to. Although I'm apprehensive to such devices, I can accept them simply because I can't refute it, either.
Now we move to Naruto. If you watch the show at all you know Naruto is destined to become the greatest leader/head ninja ever. Certainly he is on track to be the most powerful ninja ever in the Naruto universe. But leader? He still isn't even a leader at the squad level (4 ninjas). But we're supposed to believe that any moment he'll lead a nation to greatness? This is where an author can't say it's true because I said so because everything in the world itself contradicts the idea.
Of course, speaking of leadership, we can't forget FF8, another leadership disaster with Squall who is supposed to guide SeeD to greatness while never talking to anyone else. Or how you've a world where all the main characters have Alzheimer's disease from GF overdose so that none of them besides Irvine realized the fact that they all grew up in the same place together but never forgetting anything else but that.
Shouldn't an author at least be responsible to the world they created? At the very least, they need to abide by the rules of logic. Logic doesn't say Golbez can't be Cecil's brother, but logic does say people aren't supposed to suddenly forget their childhood but not anything else.
Let's start with FF4. Everyone is probably familiar with the fact that Golbez was brainwashed by Zemus and was actually Cecil's brother. These events are true only because the author said so. There is no possible way anyone can come to the above conclusions without being told. Such plot devices are annoying, but I can stand them because there is also no possible way to refute them. Certainly nowhere in FF4 says Golbez can't possibly be brainwashed by someone or that Golbez can't possibly be Cecil's brother. There isn't even anything that says Rydia can't be Cecil's long lost sister if the game chooses to. Although I'm apprehensive to such devices, I can accept them simply because I can't refute it, either.
Now we move to Naruto. If you watch the show at all you know Naruto is destined to become the greatest leader/head ninja ever. Certainly he is on track to be the most powerful ninja ever in the Naruto universe. But leader? He still isn't even a leader at the squad level (4 ninjas). But we're supposed to believe that any moment he'll lead a nation to greatness? This is where an author can't say it's true because I said so because everything in the world itself contradicts the idea.
Of course, speaking of leadership, we can't forget FF8, another leadership disaster with Squall who is supposed to guide SeeD to greatness while never talking to anyone else. Or how you've a world where all the main characters have Alzheimer's disease from GF overdose so that none of them besides Irvine realized the fact that they all grew up in the same place together but never forgetting anything else but that.
Shouldn't an author at least be responsible to the world they created? At the very least, they need to abide by the rules of logic. Logic doesn't say Golbez can't be Cecil's brother, but logic does say people aren't supposed to suddenly forget their childhood but not anything else.
