The HEARTBREAKING Story of Tsuyu! - My FAVOURITE Story in Stormblood

[@Preachgaming]

Hi all Chris here. Sorry for the wait everyone, between the Holidays and setting up the office we have had a lot of work to do and we wanted to come back with a bang. We are trying some new things to take advantage of the new space so we're still getting our eye in with lighting, sound and camera settings etc. so we would love to know what you think of the video. We are currently working on the post-Stormblood MSQ video at the moment and getting a few others written and recorded before Mike heads to Mexico for a week.

[@JDDMichael]

Really liked the new look and how you were able to take advantage of that greenscreen space.

[@HiddenEvilStudios]

Make sure he and his family come back with their heads very much not chainsawed off by cartel members, will you? Good man.

[@nestorreyes126]

@@HiddenEvilStudios Bruh what

[@HiddenEvilStudios]

@@nestorreyes126 What? They're going to Mexico, after all.

[@sebastianzavala4478]

@@HiddenEvilStudios talk about stupid comments. Mexico is a really nice place and no more dangerous than most major US cities. Don't let fear, ignorance and misinformation scare you from getting to know a great country.

[@SteveMan92]

"Wherefore did the kami spare us only to inflict this pain" Props to the voice actor just for this delivery alone. The layers of pain, sadness, and anger in this line are heart-wrenching

[@Memilish]

Kind of hits a bit harder after EW too...

[@TheNCreid]

So many VAs that do this well. I can always hear "My... son...."

[@Valkross9]

Sounds familiar. "Why given life, we are meant to suffer, to die?"

[@Boki_86]

this has very much a "Everything that lives is designed to end. We are perpetually trapped in a never-ending spiral of life and death. Is this a curse? Or some kind of punishment? I often think about the god who blessed us with this cryptic puzzle...and wonder if we'll ever get the chance to kill him." vibe

[@Frostea]

@@Valkross9 damn.

[@ninnoofthelastunicorn]

Her theme, Wayward Daughter, the leitmotif plays in Yanxia, Doma. A small detail that goes unnoticed most of the time, something that it took me a few times watching others play through the story to notice. She's Doma's Daughter, she's Doma's failure. She's a product of a country that was rotten before, rotten during it's occupation. Hien now has been given a massive reminder the failure of his country, his people, and there's so, so many times he sits, his eyes closed, silently reflecting on what has been presented to him as a leader. That's what hit me the hardest, along with the mindless loss of life. She showed how we fail each other daily, how we can hurt others so easily with out knowing it for our own selfish reasons. If given the chance, I really do think she'd would have been an asset and a good friend to us. Bless the Spider Lily, and Doma's wayward daughter. The wind blows from the west, and her tears lay in the east.

[@elijahwest8456]

Leitmotif*

[@ninnoofthelastunicorn]

@@elijahwest8456 thank you!!

[@bosinclaire7670]

Speaking of the Spider Lily, it also has a symbolism of final goodbyes/parting of ways which make that bit hit a bit harder imo.

[@RoyalKnightish]

It's a very definition of tragic. Had Yotsuyu been born and raised properly, things would have been different. Had Yotsuyu met someone like Gosetsu, things would have been different. Yotsuyu is who she is shaped by her past. Tsuyu is her personality born without knowing the horrible things she endured in the past. She ultimately is a different person from Yotsuyu. Sadly, she died as a Yotsuyu instead of Tsuyu as she was "killed" when her step parents appeared. In her dying words, Tsuyu came out for the last time to say goodbye to Gosetsu as she said "I imagine, was the fruit as sweet as he remembered?"

[@tjongdavid1921]

And to put salt on the wound, (iirc) the official title of the BGM is "A Father's Pride" and "A Mother's Pride"

[@alyishiking]

One of my favorite parts of the Tsukuyomi fight is when her memory of Gosetsu tries to protect her from her memory of Zenos. It just shows that buried beneath all the trauma and pain of her life, she still remembers Gosetsu as her protector. It's quite a powerful moment.

[@KLGChaos]

One of my favorite moments in any trial ever.

[@DumbassCatboy]

Yea! I was honestly waiting for him to mention that. It's great

[@misterWAHI]

Definitely got all emotional when that happened.

[@azkon7975]

And thus begins a tradition of the boss mechanic known as "Blurry Vision from Tears".

[@elixwhitetail]

@@azkon7975 "I can't see what buttons I'm pressing to DPS help" Final boss theme of Tower at Paradigm's Breach upgrades that to "I can't see the Accept Raise button through the tears"

[@hphunter]

The small blessing that Yotsuyu got was that she found someone that'd mourn her after she was gone.

[@DonPetexX]

Indeed and she got the vengeance she truly craved. After killing Asahi she was finally satisfied

[@clindsell6111]

@@DonPetexX ive killed an asahi or two in my day so who can blame her

[@ghekor]

The most ironic thing is the man who mourned her is perhaps one of the few that should trully hate her the most given what was done to him personally due to her.

[@brynphillips9957]

For me Yotsuyu and Tsuyu represented a tale of the consiquinces of turning a blind eye to injustice for the sake of protecting your own way of life. Tsuyu was who Yotsuyu was before she became twisted. It was like she didn't so much just lose her memory as regress to the child she once was. We got to see who she had once been and how she had become the monster. Yoshi P once said that Yotsuyu saw herself as the hero of her own tale. In her mind she was punishing Doma for allowing her treatment to happen. Think back to the first time we meet her. She is literally making another person kill others to spare his own life. I think for me this gives Hein's final comments to Gosetsu have extra meaning when he said he wanted to make a country where all children could laugh and smile. Yotsuyu was a monster but she was a monster born from the people of Doma looking the other way and abandoning the child she once was.

[@ATchouMeuMeu]

I think the Yotsuyu story shines because it's not a generic "redemption" story, it's about compassion. Instead of pointlessly trying to show that she in fact wasn't actually bad you see, she had to burn the tree.... they instead show how she came to be that way, her struggles and through her question our own motivations as "freedom fighters". And so we come to understand and have compassion for her, regardless of her seemingly twisted nature. When she becomes defenceless and innocent, the life she didn't get to live, it shows her as another victim of the dark side of doman society, not a foe but someone we should be saving. But we couldn't save her, it was too late for her. Very bittersweet indeed, still one of my favorite character in the game.

[@blueblazer9991]

"The Witch of Doma is finally dead" "Tsuyu deserved a kinder fate" "Her happiness was not meant to be" This ranks highly amongst my favorite exchanges in video game writing

[@obviouslykaleb7998]

“Gosetsu will mourn you.”

[@hoshiataru]

@@obviouslykaleb7998 "He will mourn Tsuyu, perhaps."

[@IKIGAIofficial]

That was the best. The one that hit me the hardest though was “I wasnt even a person”

[@Meikyu1]

I just finished this part of the MSQ and really wanted to know what the other dialogue option would've been. I was hoping Yotsuyu got to live. FF14 gave us hope of potential redemption in Fordola, but rug pulled us with Yotsuyu. I cannot stand 'Relic' playing everytime someone dies!

[@imtired927]

@@Meikyu1 if you go an inn and look at the journal you can replay cutscenes and pick other dialogue options

[@Lancun]

The thing about Yotsuyu is that she knew she was dead. Asahi knew she was dead. There was no way a primal like Tsukoyomi with a small amount of crystals would be able to stand up to the famed Eikon Slayer that is the Warrior of Light. She genuinely felt remorse for what she had done to Gosetsu even after her memories returned. And knowing that, tried to kill herself until Asahi just ripped her heart out. This was essentially a suicide-by-cop. The cop in this case being the WoL.

[@Shiirow]

she couldnt go back to being Tsuyu, and she needed to die playing the villain one last time to give the people of doma the chance to move on and rebuild.

[@elixwhitetail]

Yotsuyu is a fairly traditional anti-heroine fallen woman archetype in Japanese literature. She is a tragic figure twisted into evil by a world who abused her. Because of her crimes, she is irredeemable and has to die, but instead of redemption she gets what her heart desires the most: Revenge on the worst and most responsible of her abusers, her step-parents and step-brother who were directly responsible for her life being one of hardship and abuse and, ultimately, sadistic vengeance on the collective Doman population. The Tsuyu sub-arc suggests that, maybe, 'Tsuyu' can at least live out a peaceful life and at least be happier than she would've been as Yotsuyu... and then Asahi smashes that to pieces.

[@DakonBlackblade2]

A fact that is highlighted by her dying words: "I wonder, was the fruit as sweet as he remembered" showing us that she wished she could just stay as Tsuyu and never go back to her old life.

[@mikelemmer3473]

@@elixwhitetail For additional irony: while she was wrecking vengeance on the Doman people, the 3 people she TRULY hated were all Imperial citizens and thus protected by the very regime she served.

[@flipierfatalbina4757]

Wow I don’t wanna be the cop LOL

[@talemsplash]

"I wonder... was the fruit as sweet as he remembered?" This line is one of those single, character-revealing lines that shows that Yotsuyu died as both Yotsuyu AND Tsuyu. They were both her. She didn't get a redemption arc like many people are quick to claim. She wasn't redeemed, she was humanized. Her final act was freeing herself from her own trauma and accepting both parts of herself, and I think that's beautiful. I think it is a really good parallel to Misija's character later on in Shadowbringers as well.

[@scottballentine1846]

That scene is my favorite scene in the entire game.

[@trdl23]

This is exactly why Misija fell flat for me. We had the great stories of Yotsuyu and Fordola as two sides of the same coin (or at least similar), but Misija was just inferior to both.

[@talemsplash]

@@trdl23 To each their own! I thought Misija's story was just as strong, but these kinds of characters are never going to resonate with everyone consistently. To me, Misija felt a bit grittier and irredeemable, but what made her character so fascinating was that it didn't really erase the injustice she faced leading her to that point. They were both serious conflicts. I felt it did a good job of showing how even the Bozjans, despite absolutely deserving to be free from the yolk of the empire, held harmful prejudices just like any other people. How that reflected on Misija was tragic, but still came off to me as really compelling downward character arc.

[@trdl23]

@@talemsplash The concept was good, I agree - I found the execution lacking. We didn't get to know her the way we did her other two, and they tried to make her as sympathetic as them when her tragic background was told far more than shown. I found Bozja in general lacking, though - and while a large part of that is Misija taking too much screen time when she was, dare I say, a little too reminiscent of Sylvanas for me, there were too many non-characters. Lyon was the only good one of the bunch and deserved a better story.

[@seekittycat]

My favorite thing is how to Yotsuyu the short time she spent with Gosetsu means he's stronger then even Zenos in her mind. Years of pain, years of trauma but Gosetsu is the strongest.

[@RyuuHawke]

Ill be honest Preach, when I was at that point you said player would sympathise with her, I did not. I followed the same mind set as Yugiri, to be distrustful, to be wary when if she gets her memory back she will still inflict the same sadistic pain she would before. When she went missing, I was more annoyed with how incompetent the ninjas to keep watch than Tsuyu well being. I kept that mindset even as we finally clash with her. But then, when we all witness her inner self continually belittle herself, waiting for the stroke that will reopen the wound fresh, is held back by the good will of Gosetsu. That moment I see how much his care meant for her. How no one else was willing to give any help at her lowest point, like her family, like the domans, or me the WoL. It was there that I realize how tragic her lot in life was, how no different I was to all who decide to watch someone in turmoil and do nothing. I consider that point in the story as my personal failure, doing the same as everyone before that she has met to be uncaring because of her previous standing. Wether it be that she was an orphan, or a prostitute, or villain that is unable to harm others, much less defend herself.

[@thesunthrone]

I love how this game's writing allows you to have these kinds of perspectives. How for every character that's willing to give someone another chance, there are also those that refuse, and are equally justified to do so. How there's this tension of "what is the right choice here" in many moments of the story, as there is no clear correct answer. Each path chosen, each path walked and each life saved also sows its own tragedies, and we get to see it all unfold without any judgment from above. Life as it is, witnessed from a traveler's eyes. And with how music is so thoroughly interlinked with each and every one of these stories being told, just listening the soundtrack again on a walk has those selfsame emotions rush right back. Incredible.

[@Aquilenne]

I feel like you're underestimating the WoL. S/he didn't try to protect her because it was never necessary to. I am almost certain that if a mob of people had come to lynch her, then the WoL would have intervened, but that simply wasn't the case. It all ultimately comes down to the matter of identity on whether you feel that someone who forgets about past crimes is responsible for them or not. If not, then yes, there probably should have been some more worry for her wellbeing and you probably should have been more vocal in her defense. If you believe that, then it's easy to defend her under the argument that she's a different and completely innocent person. If so, then no. She's shown herself to be someone inclined toward taking out her frustrations on those who had nothing to do with whatever happened to her just because they shared the same nationality. She'd be worse than Nidhogg if it weren't for the fact that she doesn't have a dragon's life span and would eventually just die off. If you believe this, then there's simply no way that you can defend her. Nobody's trying to physically hurt her, and their words are correct. As someone who is myself very vindictive, I mostly just put myself in her position. If I were being cursed at by people for things that someone I wasn't did, then I'd be able to deal with it. I'd probably withdraw from society as much as possible, but as long as it never escalated to a physical scale, I'd be fine. Meanwhile, from the other perspective, while I would honestly give her a pass on everything she did to her parents because I'd probably do the same, everything she did to people who never did anything to her is completely unacceptable. Nobody is entitled to help, and especially not from people who were never in a position to offer it.

[@ProjectAwakeOnline]

Really glad you had this kind of reaction. I also felt that her arc was the most surprising and meaningful thing from Stormblood. The people that have a problem with her post-patch story say that trying to redeem her is cheap and doesn't work I think are misunderstanding. She is NOT being redeemed. No one can forgive her in the end, but you can much more understand and pity her.

[@lyrisea1935]

SPOILER ALERT FOR EW I feel the same can be said for the Ascians. Sure, they were evil, irredeemably so. But their cause was just. Who wouldn't want to bring their friends and loved ones back after a tragedy? Who wouldn't want to bring their world back if it was destroyed? Their world was all they ever knew. They loved their world, just as we do ours. But their way of trying to "fix" what had happened killed millions of people, and so I can't ever forgive them. But I understand now why they did what they did because I got to look into the past and see what their world was like. It was a beautiful place. The Ascians were never redeemed and do not deserve to be, but we can understand and pity them like we can Yotsuyu.

[@mikelemmer3473]

The story makes you HOPE she can be redeemed, that something good can come out of all this pain and misery. And when she isn't, when her past drags her down and kills her... it hurts. Even though she was a monster, it still feels like something was lost. Fordola shows the joy of watching someone improve, Yotsuyu shows the pain of watching someone stumble and fall. I think those experiences encourage the WoL to try and redeem future villains instead of just offing them.

[@thenoisyninja]

I love that they dont try to excuse her of all the pain and death shes caused. I think this is why Sylvanas’s “redemption” is so hollow; so what if she wasn’t entirely in control of herself, the people she killed are still dead and deserve some form of justice.

[@PetarBladeStrok]

Same! Easily my favorite STB arc. I love it! What a well made video Mike. Damn. 10/10

[@Ellyll8T]

The scene in this that got me most was when she's in Namai, and sees Isse and his sister, his kindness and love - things Yotsuyu never had. That little part, I find just absolutely agonizing. I do feel that bringing her back in any way would diminish the impact of her story. There's another spot, in another part of the game, where there's a message of, 'some things, you can't fix.' And I like that, things your WOL can't help, no matter how powerful or good you are. Though in Yotsuyu's case, I felt like she had a resolution, she's smiling, she seems at some level of peace. I feel like she'd spiritually move on (unlike some.) But I LOVE that they make you think & feel this way, about someone who you probably just loathe at first, and by the end, pity rises. I've never done her trial without someone commenting on it, one way or another. ("She should die!" "No!" Arguments break out - it's pretty wonderful.)

[@belld.s5276]

The post-SB was very good. I love revenge stories, so naturally I had sympathy for Yotsuyu. Revenge is just raw emotion, no logic required. She had no other motive other than satisfying her need to get back at the country that treated her like shit. She never was condescending to the WoL, or the Scions. From what I remember. Her sole concern was Doma. She even targeted the Confederacy (whom I share your opinion on), because they were made of mostly Doman refugees. In my perspective, she had a happy ending. Spent decades ruining Doma, and at the very end of it all, killed her brother and parents, the very core of her bottomless anger. Some of her final words were, “Finally, I am satisfied.” And what is there more to life than fulfilling your purpose? There was no way she would live a regular life after all she’s done, memory lost or not. Hien was very naive on that regard. Was she a terrible person? Absolutely. In another reality, if she had lived a fair and good life, would she have been a good person? Maybe. Tsuyu was a very kind girl, so there is reason to believe. That was how I felt about Yotsuyu’s story.

[@Merusdraconis]

I feel like the Yotsuyu arc, with maybe one exception, exemplifies the themes of Final Fantasy XIV better than anything. Here is an absolutely loathsome character, cartoonishly so. In most stories, their death would be cathartic and necessary, but instead FFXIV asks: are they capable of change? What does repentance, and forgiveness, look like for a person like this? The story asks that question many times, in multiple different ways, but it's so stark with Yotsuyu because characters like her usually don't get arcs like this, and it's one of the clearest moments where FFXIV makes its themes clear: what does it take to build a better future, in the face of oblivion, in the wake of your past sins? (It is not hard to imagine why this would be on the mind of the FFXIV team.)

[@subaquatictoaster]

Making me cry on a Friday, not cool dude. Absolutely love your take on this story Mike!

[@barsonik3855]

The green screen setup looks clean af

[@lethargicwizard]

Yotsuyu's story is a really good example of events that highlight some the ugly truths of Doman society. As an outsider, you enter the country automatically inclined to be sympathetic toward Doma because the empire bad, and while the Garleans are absolutely fascists, Doma pre-empire wasn't exactly sunshine and roses for poor, nor especially for women; and we see that highlighted particularly in Yotsuyu's story. If there's one major takeaway from that whole saga it should be "what kind of society tolerates or normalizes selling girls off into sex slavery" and at the end of the day, what did Hien or any of the other lords promise to do about it. Food for thought. Another example of this concept is the Confederacy, who are a bunch of absolute bastards who existed well before the empire took over, who were allowed to operate freely in the ruby sea, and they continue to be bastards throughout the story, but we end up tolerating them because they help us against the empire.

[@crow6558]

totally agree, i liked hien as a character until he refused to arrest or even verbally condemn jifuya for selling yotsuyu into sex slavery; sure, he promises to make sure children in doma dont have to be afraid or cry anymore, but he spins that to make it BECAUSE of yotsuyu. he refuses to dismantle or even acknowledge the pre-existing social systems in doma that CAUSE children to be harmed and blames it all on yotsuyu and the garleans, which is a surefire way to make sure nothing ever really gets fixed. his role in yotsuyu's storyline not only makes him seem incredibly callous but also just makes him look like a bad leader.

[@everyonethinksyoureadeathm5773]

@@crow6558 This is one of those "too stupid to forgo tradition". For all of Hien's valor and honor, he really sucks as political leader. He's all for restoring the traditions of Doma even if it means restoring the traditions that probably allowed collaborators to fester within his father's kingdom. His father's kingdom fell both from external and internal forces and even to this day, (if you play the EW range role quest) he still is grappling between good policy and his society's traditions, often opting for tradition over policy.

[@OseronPhaer]

It also highlights one of the grim realities of the world: that groups and nations often have to ally themselves with other groups that are philosophical opponents or geo-political rivals to have a chance at winning in conflicts.

[@soyekinthehideaway6763]

Problem those "ugly truth" are only presented in Yotsuyu's case and can be easily argued to be specifically because Yotsuyu's parents are bastards. Doman side quests rarely deals with these angles and in general Doman is depicted as this heroic, peaceful nation that sorrowfully fell to an oppressive imperial regime. Hien is depicted as "honorable young lord in self-imposed exile", his father is another "honorable lord who endured imperial humiliation for peace of his people", even doman people are far less docile and in-fighting, unlike their Ala Mhigan counterpart. The sunny and heroic side of Doma is depicted so overbearing, it really underplayed what Yotsuyu represent and horrible implication behind her story. Hell, even for most people that's discussing "Darkside of Doma", most of the points are generally dervied from Yotsuyu and those around her. The way Doma's built story/lore-wise really isn't that supportive of an otherwise really astonishing piece of writing.

[@YoukoZuki]

Both Ala Mhigan and Doman suffered and caused suffering during the occupation. The Empire didn't create Fordola or Yoyutsu. They were created by their own people: bitter Ala Mhigan beated Fordola's Dad to death. Yoyutsu got mistreated by her family, her husband, and her society. The Empire is bad, but the societies of the two countries are not any better to their own people either. Pretty much karma births karma. At least the cycle ends with Yotyusu's death, and Fordola still trying to be helpful for a better Ala Mhigo despite her past.

[@Rakka5]

Yotsuyu is an irredeemable monster, but she was created by a society that was just as monstrous as her. I like to view her as a twisted primal of Old Doma itself, and Tsuyu is the human who she "corrupted"

[@TheGerrok]

This was my view, Yotsuyu was a reflection of the ugliest side of Doma. They showed that she could've been a kind and caring person, but the tragedy of her circumstance led her to be the worst version of herself.

[@Dotoku14]

I wouldn't say she was "Irredeemable" by any means. She was treated like complete garbage by every single person she came across in Doma. Her killing Doman's is a natural progression of that. And something, if given the power to do so, most people in THAT situation would probably do. If that happened to her as an adult with a normal upbringing, probably not. She might have turned the other cheek. But going into that from birth, no one can blame her for it. Not really.

[@DawnAfternoon]

What she did was unforgivable, but what has been done to her was equally unforgivable. Yotsuyu is the fruit of which the people of Doma reaped. She simply returned what her people sowed in her.

[@TheSm1thers]

@@DawnAfternoon It's a bit silly to say she's the fruit which the people of Doma reaped. Not everyone in Doma abused her, but she took it out on everyone. If she just got revenge on her family people wouldn't have as much of a problem with her if at all, but she went full on evil sadistic dictator mode and oppressed an entire race.

[@radiantred4158]

​@@TheSm1thers I don't think it's entirely silly. Of course not everyone hurt Yotsuyu but it's not vengeance in the 1:1 sense until they stopped being Imperial citizens/under Imperial protection. Yotsuyu's tragedy is a symptom of Doman tradition: to be wholly subservient to your family, regardless of what they do to you, and to not rock the boat of your environment/community. Yotsuyu was abused by her family and those who knew did not or could not stop them. Yotsuyu's reason for her hatred of Domans isn't as outright stated as Fordola's hatred for Ala Mhigans is, but inaction can be just as bad if not worse than action.

[@BenderUnit22x]

With him charging through Shadowbringers, I half-expected the Stormblood patches to be forgotten about. Great to see they will still get their due

[@shaderunner8220]

I love Yotsuyu as an antagonist because she's irredeemable, and doesn't look for redemption either, but the story still makes us feel pity for her. They don't want us to forgive her, but they do want us to feel pity for her,, and to think had things going differently we may not have had to come to blows. That's the part that hurts the most about this story arc, the possibility.

[@senorf999]

Morally grey character's is a meme in some gaming circles, FF14 do them so well , I know Yoshi-P get most of credit for turning the game around but Natsuko Ishikawa is such an unsung hero.

[@writer_man5318]

I think it helps that it's not just the antagonists who are morally grey. Like Hien who heard everything Yotsuyu went through during the Doma Castle sequence and still decided to try and kill her rather than try to turn her around. You have Estinien who learns the truth of the past but still believes he has to kill dragon and then after talking with Hrae decides that Nidhogg still has to die. You have Merlwyb whose poor treatment of Kobolds and Sahagins get called out by Y'shtola defend herself as protecting Limsans. Aymeric convincing Hrae to kill Nidhogg because the consequences would be worse if Nidhogg's shade lives. The choices Urianger makes throughout. The knowledge that people tempered are put to death despite being victims of a primal.

[@Kitsune10060]

@@writer_man5318 We aren't free of this ether. The amount of times our body count alone gets brought up, to say nothing of some of the clearly shady shit we've gone along with. the Warrior of Light isn't free of their own shades of grey. Though it is far less pronounced then the rest of the cast due to the fact the WoL is a customizable player character.

[@azkon7975]

I don't think Ishikawa is unsung. We in the FF14 community know who wrote this story.

[@elixwhitetail]

@@writer_man5318 In Estinien's defense... Nidhogg DID have to die, nothing less than the genocide of the Ishgardian civilization and the razing of every building put up by Ishgardian hands would even begin to bring him around to thinking about going to therapy to start dealing with his rage. As long as Nidhogg lived, Ishgard would be under siege. But Nidhogg is also a morally grey character because he has absolutely good reason for wanting everyone who's descended from his kin's betrayers to live in fear and pain until they die from a dragon killing or fatally wounding them, and after a thousand years of unending torment there is no way he can believe that Ser Hunkyboy and his new political party can permanently prevent future humans from betraying dragons again and there's no way he would accept "we're sorry" from Ser Hunkyboy after a thousand years of strife.

[@zephyr8072]

I wouldn’t call Hien morally grey, he’s just an asshole lordling with very disturbing views on sexual slavery, who gets inserted into the position of designated good guy by writer’s fiat. There’s plenty of good writing and moral greyness in FFXIV.. but Hien ain’t it.

[@the-yomma]

Honestly, these FFXIV videos have been such a breath of fresh air. It's not that I didn't like your WoW content (I did!!) but looking back now, after watching these...it's just so clear how much more fun you're having and how much less stress you're carrying. Thanks for this, and thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@Joe-it2dh]

I have a small amount of hope (or maybe just some copium) that one day we will see Tsuyu and Gosetsu on a different world happy living out their lives together. Its hope based on the remark she makes regarding Tsuyu's happiness saying "was not meant to be, not in THIS world."

[@MoonDasher07734]

I love the Yotsuyu journey a lot, but what really is crazy for me still as a FF14 vet, seeing this video, is realizing how the dev team can TRULY put closure to characters. Example here would be Gosetsu. He is a very established character, we know his backstory, we know his motives and plans, we know the current snapshot of the man he is. But, STILL, he grows, and develops his character further. To the very end of the Yotsuyu arc. Then, they give him one of the best sendoffs a character could have. One of the greatest Samurais of Eorzea, retired from bloodshed and warfare and political struggles. Finally, he puts down his sword, shaves his head, and decides on travelling. It is a great moment that not many mediums can do.

[@crimsonwizahd2358]

Spoilers for the EW Physical Ranged questline: I love how as you face off against the Blasphemy with Hien and Yugiri, you're basically with your backs to the wall, until Gosetsu returns, not with a blade in hand but with a Geomancer wand. He's basically gone from opening wounds to mending them instead, and I love the symbolism there

[@DakonBlackblade2]

What closes this story with a perfect bitter sweet bow are Yotsuyus last words : "I wonder, was the fruit as sweet as he remembered". That shows us that she wished she could have just stayed as Tsuyu and never go back to her old self. Her fight against us in her primal form is basically her committing suicide by Warrior of Light, she knew she had no chance of wining.

[@TarossBlackburn]

Don't forget... When Yotsuyu got her memories back, the reason she went out there with that knife was to end herself. I do not condone the act. But with all things considered she realized that there was no redemption for herself, how much regrets she might have now. The only reason she went back full to the path that made her turn into Tsukyomi was her parents interrupting.

[@ニャ-g7g]

When Mike started the ff14 journey I knew !!!! I knew he is the one who will appreciate Stromblood I was the only one in FC who said Stormblood was good it had highs and downs but it still was GOOD ! Since January 21 I been gorging on this game after ShadowLands dry out...... and after 25years of gaming FF is probably one of the best things that happen to me.

[@danilooliveira6580]

I mean, its pretty much consensus that stormblood is fine, mostly the doma arc, its just much weaker than the other expansions, so its problems stand out.

[@Failed_Kings]

The first time this game made me cry was seeing Haurchefant's father fall to his knees Yotsuyu's boss fight was the second, quickly followed by the third with Gosetsu arriving And Shadowbringers brought the fourth, where Lyna breaks down after *that* battle I never thought I'd play a game that actually made me care about the characters this much, where I can relate to the villains and empathies with their motives. I got so used to the cycle WoW did things that I couldn't imagine caring about what's happening past "yay my team" I haven't made it to Endwalkers yet, but I am looking forward to it, my friends tell me it's made them cry multiple times.

[@Failed_Kings]

It's made me cry two more times since posting this and I'm still not in Endwalker, fuck

[@debrucey]

I agree with this. When it's first revealed she's still alive but with amnesia I rolled my eyes so hard. But by the end it was one of my favourite storylines in any of the expansions.

[@oliverurbanik9647]

Finally someone who see's this Story as the best in whole of Stormblood too. And many others too if i look over the comments. I loved every bit of the Story of her and felt really really sad, that there was no good ending for her, caring for Gosetsu and perhaps finds solace. I knew the fight was coming after her brother did awakening the old Yotsuyu.. but after the fight started i was - for the first time - a bit hesitant to engage.. (which is a bit awkward when you are the MT .. ) .. but I don't wanted to do more harm to her. She has had enough in her life. Yeah.. the story arc with her was the best part of Stormblood for me. ... ok.. Omega was nice too. Love Alpha

[@astrealove1]

Tsukiyomi is my all time favourite boss fight, and it's exactly because Yotsuyu is such an incredibly well written villain. I acknowledge that there are fights that are mechanically superior, and moments in the story that are much more hard hitting. But Tsukiyomi hit the nail on both parts, and the fact that the boss fight take her story in to consideration.

[@renehoyvik]

Yotsuyu's character arc, and especially her playing the villain Doma needed one last time, it is such a good character story, such a great progression of a character. I went from hating her for so long, to understanding, but not agreeing with her. To sympathising, and finally saddened by the part she knew she had to play and thus saddened by where the character ended up, wishing there was a different outcome. I absolutely love Stormblood, its not a classical fantasy story that is easy to enjoy. It makes you angry and frustrated at times, but its all to push what i feel is its ultimate goal, to push and develop characters. There are characters introduced in this expansion we would not care half as much about should they come back later... Maybe in a frozen wasteland...

[@quantum_ogre]

Bittersweet is a good way to describe it, and such was the reality of Doma. Yotsuyu had terrible things done to her, yet inflicted countless horrors without aim or focus. She could not, and perhaps should not, be redeemed. But the failure of the nation was something worth recognizing, and mourning what could have been.

[@PrateemShrestha]

I can't even watch these momentary clips without crying. Yotsuyu's story was utterly fantastic and I'm so glad that you appreciated its tragedy as well. I eagerly anticipate any further videos about FFXIV from you!

[@primemetroid4427]

As Yotsuyu is dying with all memories in intact her final thought were of Gosetsu and wondering if that fruit she got him was as sweet as he remember. Not sure if I only got that dialogue because the choice I made but I thought it was a nice touch… a bittersweet send off.

[@Plasmacat1]

Her fight is one of the best thematically, arena and music wise. I love it, the glamour weapons also look banging.

[@marajango]

A good story makes you care about the good guys. A great story makes you care about the bad guys as well. Really love what you have done with the new studio. The production value on this video is so much better now. Really great video.

[@subbyraccoon]

I see Preach making good use of that new green screen office space, must feel like a kid in a candy store!

[@davidbrooks2872]

There was a lot of great stories through out the game up to this point, but this was the first arc where I had to shut off the console and reflect on what I just witnessed. When a game can make you think about life, that's true art

[@tuckapeak]

Great Video. The new studio pays off, the quality of having the office shows! Congrats!

[@idleeidolon]

Yotsuyu's story feels like social commentary about japan now, and japan back then during the war, the weight of tradition, expectation, resentment, and guilt. It's probably just me, but this supposedly personal story, feels like an writer writing about how the current generation feels the burden/guilt/shame of the previous ones. "Wayward daughter" might as well be "wayward generation."

[@Linuana]

I still can't listen to her theme without crying.

[@misterWAHI]

Same. Got all choked up during my commute home when Wayward Daughter started playing on my headphones.

[@MrZxorm]

Being able to watch and chat along with the jorney has been amazing so far. From the big story moments to the trolling in the GS. Much love

[@brianstevenson6093]

Two things preach: GREAT video! I’m playing along the Shadowbringers story for the first time right now having just finished Stormblood and I loved this storyline. Secondly, your Dark Souls art behind you is incredible and I want it!

[@anyroad5455]

I love these videos Preach! As someone who’s been playing 14 since launch, these story deep dives do a great job of helping me recall what it was like to play through them for the very first time! My absolute favorite primal fight.

[@maxpower506]

I loved Yotsuyu last Line in this Story I wonder if the Fruit was as sweet as he rembered

[@beth6703]

This story blew me away and was by far my favorite in Stormblood. I just finished it a few weeks before you did. Glad to see your video analysis!

[@ingolf82]

Yotsuyu's story is one of abuse. it is the classic story where the victim of abuser becomes an abuser herself. the classic story of the bullied kid in school that later becomes the schoolyard bully to continue the cycle of evil. But when she loses her memories, she loses everything that made her the schoolyard bully. she is no longer that person. But that changes later of course when she turns into the primal.

[@GameMageVideos]

The editing in this video is fantastic. Studio improvements are definitely apparent

[@Lordoftheapes79]

You're gonna want to keep a ranged dps leveled.

[@tuck295q]

Ah Endwalker role quest. Man the ppl in the country are truly shit.

[@MrWinczakos]

not gonna lie, i was smiling hard :D

[@bryceroberts2965]

Can't wait for your video on Elidibus

[@ronsorage78]

I actually love Yotsuyu. Her and Fordola. I like seeing Fordola grow and from finding out her past I felt like I wanted to save Yotsuyu from herself.

[@Benhutchison1978]

Gotta say these analysis vids are one of my favourite FFXIV CC videos, thank you you rock!

[@edbrooke75]

I love the new way your filming these essay style videos.

[@TK-dz2vu]

Incredibly well edited and produced with the new green screen stuff! Enjoyed it a lot!

[@kayleenjones5850]

😭 hit the nail on the head Preach

[@Eye1hoe]

Production quality through the roof! Great job!

[@lyconxero457]

The bit of production in the beginning was a nice touch!

[@sunnyc4966]

My favourite thing about the Yotsuyu story was how, to the last, every Warrior of Light went "nah" when Asahi's parents begged for help. She pulled that knife and my Sch friend said "Good for her."

[@Keira_Blackstone]

thank you for making this- I loved this story, especially in contrast with the story of Fordola- which was my personal favorite Stormblood story. It was very poignant to see them do two attempted villain redemption stories side by side- one that succeeded and one that failed. I can't wait to hear your further thoughts.

[@Zlei.]

Yeah Y'tsuyu's story arc definitely caught me by surprise. Definitely something that stood out when I played through Stormblood.

[@TheSilverwing999]

Yotsuyu's story and the patches is what made Stormblood for me. It was just so good.

[@Xavien12]

I liked the post stormblood patches more than the post heavensward patches, one of the reasons being the tsuyu story, but the nanamo, lyse stuff and the leadup to shadowbringer were also amazing (also best dungeon ghimlyt dark)

[@SilverforceX]

So many thought Stormblood was weak, but I actually thought it was the best, until Endwalker. Stormblood felt like a grand adventure, traversing far away places, journeying into different cultures, recruiting the nomad warriors to our cause. It was grandiose. But also personal with amazing character development, and Yotsuyu carried the expansion, along with Zenos.

[@evildice5588]

Great video sir! Bits like these remind us FF14 is largely a grand story told through the lens of a game. Looking forward to seeing what's next for the channel!

[@nigelm5539]

Oowee..that's one heck of a crisp studio and green screen setup. Production values on videos going forward is going to be mint. Love the cozy storytelling vibe as well.

[@IKIGAIofficial]

Having a raid boss fight include 3 iterations that tell a story of the bosses whole life was so creative and inspiring. Never did I think that I would be tearing up while fighting in an mmo.

[@warlordtf9608]

damn the cutscene visuals are so crisp and the audio is *chefs kiss*

[@chrono5108]

I love that you're covering this sort of stuff! I'm so happy to see how much you are enjoying ffxiv!

[@bodhirana7405]

Loved the "step on me" intro. LOL I laughed for so long because of it. Very Monty-Python-esque too. *two very enthusiastic thumbs up*

[@Eelanos]

Fighting Tsukuyomi with tears in my eyes was not easy, lemme tell you. Tsukuyomi's theme still makes me go to the brink of crying to this day.

[@evilsteve8915]

Great video! She is definitely one of my favorite characters in this game.

[@sqidvishus]

Mike, I am glad you made this video. I feel like FFXIV creators shy away from lore videos and character analysis because we as players see it all and don't have to dig through books, comics, etc. This video was amazing. Thank you.

[@ronholmesuk825]

Production values just went through the roof mate - great job, great vid.

[@peterhitchcock5012]

Love the longer form stuff preach! Another great piece

[@Piisuke]

I liked how Mike thought we were memeing, but Yotsuyu is genuinely a beloved character.

[@CrimsonRayne]

That was beautiful mate! Well done

[@LadCarmichael]

One great point Preach raises is that we can imagine what Tsuyu could have been through Fordola, and that's what make it stings that much more because we know that Fordola changed, that it is possible even for the lowest villain not to redeem themselves but to try to be better, that it's never too late to change.

[@BM03]

I was holding fast until Gosetsu shows in the primal fight as a memory to defend her, along with all her regrets and hatred. She really did have Tsuyu in her and it was the only person she held dear. What a way to fuck me up in the middle of a boss fight.

[@Plummchild]

even after endwalker, this storyline is still may fav

[@sonicroze]

I did not want to like or trust Tsuyu, but it becomes apparent... she's not Yotsuyu. She's what Yotsuyu might have been... if ANYONE in her life had held out their hand to her. If she had found even a little warmth and friendship, would she have so easily slain her kin? Have relished the pain and torment she inflicted on others? I don't think so... so the death of Tsuyu.. the death of Yotsuyu, is also the death of potential. That we will never see what "might" have been. The Primal fight actually gives away a lot. She believes she needs to be punished and every cruel person stands against her - all but one. A Samurai who stands to defend her fragile psyche in the midst of everything. If given the choice, Yotsuyu would have remained as Tsuyu, and she tried desperately to hang onto it... Ultimately, for her, there was "no other choice" but to be Yotsuyu.

[@boo5860]

gosetsu crying fucks me up man

[@HMNNO]

Really nice green screen that integrates into the game. Just finished watching and the content is amazing. Glad you’re a story person on top enjoy mmorpgs too

[@Racerguardguy]

Very well created video! I cannot wait for the Shadowbringers series :D

[@saxonknight0]

Thanks for the KZbin content as well, very different but equally entertaining to the twitch streams! Hope there are many more videos to come!

[@OG_Fireflare]

New production looks great! Keep up the good work

[@YoukoZuki]

When she did that pre-transformation speech, her eyes looked so sad.

[@RoyalKnightish]

Finally it's here and I've been waiting for so long for this. It's truly worth the wait

[@Dotoku14]

Production quality baby!!!

[@hadesfitness5541]

I love this new set up and format congrats man keep up the good work

[@Escorducarla]

Yotsuyu's story was probably my favorite part of SB (and I loved a lot of it) because the game makes it clear without being overwrought or sappy that she really didn't have to be that way. She was horribly abused by everyone that should have protected her, sold, passed around, just given the worst by everyone she encountered. Seeing her childhood puts another dimension on the thoughtlessly evil person you first encounter. She was putting the screws to a people who did the same to her, pretty much her entire life. It wasn't even unreasonable to hate her. WHY she was a monster was understandable, but the story never flinches from the fact that she is still very much a monster. But it also makes it a little easier to want to protect her regressed self, when you see her finally protected by someone, anyone. You get to see the person she could have been if just one person had seen her in pain and taken her away from everything that was inflicted upon her. Which is why Asahi showing up and inflicting just one final bit of usury on her just made me so happy to see him die. He was taught to treat her as inhuman, and felt justified essentially stepping over her to get what he wanted. Just...man, such a good story. What begins as a completely one-dimensional villain becomes this fully-featured character that actually crushes you when she dies, if for no other reason that you have to see Gosetsu rent by his mourning, and he's such a good man who has been through so much already that you really don't want to see more heaped upon his back.

[@SaraHungary]

again an amazing analysis and video! I am really glad you started to play this game, I love hearing your thoughts!

[@julinde]

She's one of my personal favorites in SB. Her story is so tragic. She just tried to live the best way she could with the mentality of, "survive by whatever means necessary" And when that finally comes crumbling down and her finally realizing she has nothing left to lose nor gain, fuck it, become a primal. I don't think her goal was to live when she became a primal. She just wanted to kill her brother. At this point, she knew she was fucked. She couldn't return to Doma (the people would never accept her back) she couldn't return to Garlamald (she'd be killed instantly) she didn't want to live like a rat in the walls of the castle. So she made a choice that was hers and hers alone. I'd like to think that's why she was smiling when she died. She finally got to make a choice of her own and she took out the person who made her suffer the most. A bittersweet ending for a tragic character.

[@knuckles543]

And when she initially left the enclave she had the knife, and it is heavily implied she was about to do seppuku/suicide… And then the parents showed up….

[@julinde]

@@knuckles543 i think that's when she snapped and said, "you know what, im fucked either way. Might as well take you fuckers with me."

[@P0rk_Sinigang]

Stormblood overall is just an incredible story of how monsters are made.

[@kimaclaret]

I enjoyed playing through Doma, and while the plot may not have been the most original, I think they did really well with it. Love the new video setup, and the green screen worked out beautifully. Can't wait for more.

[@bryandiaz3755]

Brilliant video. Never considered the Gosetsu and Dothal link. This is the way.

[@Azural]

One of the main part about ff14 story writing is that it reflected on the individual reader and player's own maturity level/life experience to take away meaningful message, tried sympathy, jaded preconceived notions, and stages of life. A kid in high school that's playing this cannot relate to a father/child relationship story that they'll come to understand better when in their 30s, it's not wrong that they don't, it's just their limited life experience hasn't exposed them to being able to connect with the elements of the story. (some people mature late or even never get this growth). Similarly many people and streamer will judge a incomplete/developing story isn't right or wrong, for it is the genuine reaction and reflection of how the story hits that person at that point of the story, even though it is a case of "little did s/he know" as the story expands and turning things upside down. It's more of a case of looking inward to accept that perhaps it's because we DON'T have all the answers that's why it seems "stupid" or incomplete to us, and sometimes with certain life events or world events we might NEVER know the truth of what transpired, but just having the honesty of admitting that our judgments are skewed by how little we know of anything... is a personal growth that can go the distance.

[@owenwells7692]

This is an important point I think, and where I think it shows the most is at the very end of Stormblood when the Ala Mighans start singing their national anthem after Zenos is defeated. I've seen a lot of people say that this ending seems weird and kind of forced but I've also seen people who have lived through that or have friends or family who have, who say they absolutely would have done the same thing because of what being able to do that means to people who no longer have to be in that situation.

[@Azural]

@@owenwells7692 yes exactly, i always hear people dismiss what they missed as a stupidity of others, instead of something they themselves lack... it's heartening to know that people will eventually come around and see different point of perspectives through experience and growth. It is a skill that is usually obtained by traveling around the world and seeing different culture, background, seeing their perspective and at least trying to understand where they come from, where they are, and where they are going... hence why in FF14 you have the title of the "traveler" in the tongue of the ancients. Stormblood had so much elements that western (especially peaceful bubbled nations) audience aren't going to pick up, this reflects in many streamers including Preach who didn't know what Dango is, that's like as if someone from the east asked what's a hotdog or burger. Then again i doubt many uses glutinous rice with tofu in the west to make dishes ( dango )... the takeaway is to go into Stormblood without the usual western mindset, and walk out of Stormblood with perhaps more knowledge and a drive to seek further clarity.