Annotated 42-2
You gotta play the ball where it lies. I’ve mentioned we had a lot of ideas for Miyamoto to show initiative that ultimately we didn’t use. But we didn’t use them, so they don’t count. So his failure to act, despite his clear dissatisfaction, ended up becoming his story.
Poor Miyamoto never had a chance here, really. Bedard is so opaque that Miyamoto seizes upon the simplest possible motive for this talk (“Dude must want to be king! Everybody does, deep down, right?”). When, instead, Bedard seems to drop an opportunity to rule into his lap, Miyamoto has already overtaxed his mind trying to figure Bedard out and doesn’t question the free candy. Hey, rich guys get handed stuff, that’s how the world works, right?
I think Bedard is telling the truth throughout this exchange, especially about his own motives in enabling monarchy. There’s room for doubt, though, about his account of the erstwhile Peacemakers. Remember, this is a guy who published “Adventurers are definitely all future berserkers” and, when he got called on it, replied, “Well, they certainly could be.” I wouldn’t put it past him to know something about Iwatani’s Peacemaker-slaying plots. Although, had those plots succeeded, Bedard would probably already be saying, “And our nation’s beloved Peacemakers are dead, leaving us defenseless against extranormal threats. One more reason the people are anxious and need a strong hand to assure them.”
Love what John did with those glasses of Bedard’s here.
Originally published on April 27, 2016. Which is to say, before #BLM and news coverage on said protests.
BLM started in 2013, but I think workers’ rights and Occupy are closer analogies to the headline here.
I really don’t see this part of the story as a analog to real world problems (people in power demonizing threats to the status quo being a constant non the less) but if I had to force a analog, I would say this was closer to the fear mongering during war on terror causing a real divide in society many are still capitalizing on.
What was Bedard’s game here? Was he just trying to screw with Miyamoto? Find out how loyal he’d be to the new regime? Get some nice quail meat?
They explain this in the next couple pages, but the idea is to get him to admit that he doesn’t object to monarchy on ideological grounds.