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Chapter 118. Facing Loss?
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What should be done to make someone truly despair? Especially when they're feeling triumphant, only to be dragged into the abyss all at once?
This intriguing question was one that Pucci had previously discussed with Akiyuki Shinbo. They had even applied the results of their discussion in the final endings of Zeppeli and Jonathan's stories.
Much like a teacher assigning an essay about a school trip after it ends, they effectively used what they had discussed in these two storylines.
Whether it was the scene of Zeppeli's death, which centered on Romain Rolland's quote, "There is only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it is and to love it," or the depiction of Jonathan's death, inspired by "To Live" and "The Old Man and the Sea", emphasizing that "a man can be destroyed but not defeated"—these changes were made with full force, with neither Pucci nor Jolyne Cujoh, who had invested in the project, caring about the potential backlash.
As a result, those who watched the heavily altered "Phantom Blood" were left with a bit of time-traveler's shock. The changes made by Pucci and Jolyne Cujoh, who ignored the consequences, significantly improved the entire work, and this swayed Akiyuki Shinbo in a way that felt like he was being "forced into vice."
For a creator, the feeling of pursuing art and creating what they truly wanted to shoot, rather than simply pleasing the audience, was immensely satisfying.
Thus, Shinbo, who was initially hesitant, suddenly found himself deeply interested in continuing to push the one-on-one duel with Kars to the next level!
Originally, with the defeats of Esidisi and Wamuu—two true Pillar Men who brought unprecedented oppression and fear to the audience, followed by Kars being coerced into accepting various conditions by Lisa Lisa using the Super Aja—oppression? Fear? ...It's laughable!
"Look at that Kars, he looks like a dog!"
This was the genuine sentiment of the current audience towards the Pillar Men.
But what if, under these circumstances, a plot twist akin to Guan Yu's defeat at Maicheng occurred?
—"Cowardly rats of Jiangdong!!!"
Even the Japanese, who greatly admired "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and had amplified both Liu Bei and Cao Cao to the level of saying they were Qin Shihuang or Han Wudi reborn, continued to refer to the Wu faction as mere "rats," despite their perceived heroism. This shows just how unpopular Wu was.
And what about the readers who had been eagerly awaiting the resurgence of the Han dynasty, only to see Guan Yu get ambushed by the combined forces of Wu and Cao? That kind of betrayal is something no one can accept.
For some die-hard fans, that was the true ending, with no need to discuss the story beyond the Prime Minister.
In such a scenario, the audience's reaction to seeing Joseph and the others not being defeated heroically in a struggle against an overwhelming foe, but rather being cunningly outmaneuvered by Kars and falling into a pit from which they can't escape, would be anything but accepting.
—"Damn it! I will kill you, I will absolutely kill you!!"
—"Indeed! Those who created this plot are beyond human; they need to be taken down with a heavy hand!!"
—"I see... So this is what it feels like to be utterly enraged? I've never encountered such infuriating material before. So, everyone, please get even angrier, even more passionate, so I can observe carefully!"
They entered with high expectations, only to find themselves faced with such an ending!?
Even though Joseph's duel with Wamuu had left them in awe... no! They were absolutely blown away! But precisely because that duel was so spectacular, they had even higher expectations for Lisa Lisa's fight with Kars!
But what did Dolphin Studio give them instead!?
Looking at the comments on the forum, apart from a few instigating remarks, the general sentiment among both local and international viewers—those commenting in awkward, machine-translated language—was the same:
None of them believed that Kars, who had successfully seized the Super Aja and was holding Lisa Lisa hostage, could lose to the already exhausted Joseph.
Moreover, the OP's spoilers seemed to support their view.
Naturally, when the audience realized that "Battle Tendency" might end in this way, they found it impossible to accept!
Even Jolyne Cujoh, who had long since abandoned "Battle Tendency" and had been waiting in frustration for "Stardust Crusaders" to air, was jolted out of her stagnation!
"This feeling..."
"Am I... finally going to face a loss...!?"