LogFAQs > #885123267

Zeus posted...

Oh yeah, I recall that being a big thing. Makes me kinda wonder if the horoscope systems in some jrpgs were actually blood type systems in the original japanese (granted, that might not work out in FFT)

Probably not - that's probably more just a case of the Japanese loving the idea of culturally appropriating ideas from other people's mythology and religion to serve as the basis for their own stories, in spite of them clearly not understanding (or even giving the remotest of shits about the accuracy of) those cultures in their original context.

Then again, it's hard to fault them for that, considering the West has been doing the same thing to various Asian or native cultures over the years (and other marginalized cultures - is how we got Marvel's version of Thor and movies like Clash of the Titans).

But yeah, it's why there's so much Judaism/Christianity/Kabbalah references in the Xenogears/Xenosaga games, in spite of the fact that literally none of it makes sense in the context they use it in. Or why Norse myth crops up in a lot of games (especially Square games). Or why you'll occasionally see nuns show up who don't even remotely act like real nuns (at the very least, they'll be acting like Shinto shrine maidens, at worst, they'll probably be bad-ass demon hunters of some kind).

Of course, they're also willing to cannibalize their own culture and other Asian cultures for ideas, which is why the Dynasty Warriors and Kessen games bare only the vaguest resemblance to actual Three Kingdoms or Sengoku-era Japan (not to mention things like Ikki Tousen).

Personally, I tend to like that mentality, and I think it makes for more creativity in art and entertainment. It's part of why I kind of loathe the term "cultural appropriation", especially in the sense that most online assholes tend to use it.


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