They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In a visual medium like video games, that can be very profound. Whether it is how a character looks or how a scene is portrayed, perceptions are made. I would like to test that theory. Here is a picture:
This official artwork features two characters from the weapons fighting game Soul Calibur by Namco. The girl is Seung Mi-Na and the young man is Hwang Sung-Kyung. They have a history together. Her father is also his teacher. Their stories are intertwined. What is your perception of this image? It does not matter if you don't know who they are or if you even like them. This is all about first impressions. Are they friends or something more? What is this scene depicting? What feelings does this image invoke? What is the artist trying to say or convey about them?
Here is another picture:
This is from the girl's ending - Mi-Na - in Soul Calibur. The young man - Hwang - is holding her in his arms, looking rather intently at her. She is blushing from his intense gaze. What is this scene depicting? Did this image change your first impression? What do you think is the artist intentions here? What is it trying to say about these characters? Is their relationship platonic or romantic? Or is it something more ambiguous?
The answer? Namco never really answered this question. It was left hanging in the air, never developed past the original Soul Calibur game. Hwang does not even appear in Soul Calibur II and IV. In III, he is just a bonus character, not part of the storyline. It was as if their relationship never existed. Namco seems to have forgotten this considering how it was very important to their storyline in the original game.
However, what do you think? Was there supposed to be something more to their relationship? Do these images help portray that impression? Is there a possibility that it maybe developed more in future games? Would you like to see it developed? Or should it be left forgotten and unanswered? I am interested in what you guys think. Please leave a comment on what your take is on this subject. It does not matter if you have never played the game or are even interested in it. This is merely asking what these pictures have to say about the characters. What is your perception?
