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Thread: Parallel Plots

  1. #1
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    Default Parallel Plots

    Inspired by The4thSnake's Parallel Plot video series- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...YO3YCpbBkdoquB

    I recently watched "The Ice Princess" ("Ice Princess Lily" in the USA) and absolutely loved it. I was particularly fascinated by the parallels with "Swamp Thing" from DC Comics. Since I admire The4thSnake and his work I decided to use the same format as him to describe what I mean.


    Allow me to tall you a story:

    It’s the story of a green non-human hero who is the only one of his kind (Swamp Thing and Tabaluga). He lives in a flourishing, verdant land that teems with life (the Louisiana swamps and Greenland) and he struggles with personal issues regarding his identity and sense of self-worth (Swamp Thing is torn between his human memories and his nature as a plant elemental, Tabaluga believes he isn‘t a real dragon because he can‘t breath fire).

    The hero befriends a beautiful human girl (Abby and Lilli) whose main distinguishing physical trait is her shining white hair and who has a pure, kind heart despite being raised by an evil father-figure (Anton Arcane and Arktos). The hero and the girl fall in love despite being different species.

    The evil father-figure hates the hero and tries to use his feelings to destroy him. Eventually the hero’s love for the girl allows him to both overcome his personal issues and unlock a great power within him (Swamp Thing is able to reconcile his conflicting natures and become far more powerful because of Abby‘s love and Tabaluga finds his fire because of his love for Lilli). The hero uses this power to defeat the evil father-figure and then lives happily with the girl in the flourishing, verdant land.


    Anyone agree? What other examples of Parallel Plots can you think of?

  2. #2
    The Undead One The Chou Lives's Avatar
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    Dude. Ever heard of Athens Mono Myth?

    Every damn story has the same archetype and tropes for the most part, just in different order. Seriously, can make an drinking game out of it and people would die if trying to compare plots. Literally can think of three right now.

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    Extraordinary Member The Drunkard Kid's Avatar
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    I've always said that Skies of Arcadia is basically Final Fantasy 7, if most everyone was a lot more emotionally stable.

    Also, Grandia 2, Final Fantasy X, and Tales of Symphonia all came out relatively close to one another and all had plots involving taking a Chosen Priestess on a pilgrimage to collect summon spirits in order to save the world, but it turns out that this is also basically suicide for the priestess in question and there is some sort of massive unexpected twist about the true nature of the church that is requesting this, however they all do this in completely different ways so none of them feel like they are cribbing off of one another.

    Final Fantasy X and Tales of Symphonia also are among the few games of their series to that point to have direct sequels that notably changed the gameplay mechanics and is generally considered to be a big step back in terms of overall quality. Grandia Xtreme is not *technically* a sequel, but it was definitely made between Grandia 2 and 3 and is generally considered the black sheep of the family as well.

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    Quote Originally Posted by The Chou Lives View Post
    Dude. Ever heard of Athens Mono Myth?

    Every damn story has the same archetype and tropes for the most part, just in different order. Seriously, can make an drinking game out of it and people would die if trying to compare plots.
    What the heck is your problem? I never claimed otherwise, nor did I say that was a bad thing. I just thought it would be fun to point out some favourite examples. I love both "Swamp Thing" and "The Ice Princess" and I thought the parallels in their stories were interesting.

    Seriously, lighten up.

    Quote Originally Posted by The Chou Lives View Post
    Literally can think of three right now.
    Then describe them. That's the whole point of this thread.

  5. #5
    The Undead One The Chou Lives's Avatar
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    Bat Man, Super Man and Wobder Woman then, all have parallels.

    Bats and Clark more so.

    1: All three are single kids/no siblings.

    2: They are both orphans/raised by non biological parents

    3: They are both compelled to do what they do ( ZClark a sense of responsibility due to powers. Bruce, the urge to prevent the trade by that molded him into Batman.)

    3: Problems. They struggle in their work ( Wonder Woman fits here.)

    Superman is identity issues and testing how much he can go ( given he can break the world, he does not go all out)

    Batman: He is just one man so his human nature limits just what he can do.

    Wonder Wiman: Sge is trying to help and aid a society that is unknown to her as she has to attempt to new societies ( given she spent her whole life in on paradise island.)

    4: They all have enemies that reflect as opposites.

    Super is Lex, human who is selfish.

    Bats is Joker, who broke the other way and seeks to cause chaos.

    Wonder Wonan has equals/magic foes who seek to undo her missions of peace keeping in mans world.

    And so on/etc.

    Was not trying to be a jerk. Was trying to suggest that this concept is “Rich” for content.

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    Legendary God of Pirates Nik Hasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Drunkard Kid View Post
    I've always said that Skies of Arcadia is basically Final Fantasy 7, if most everyone was a lot more emotionally stable.

    Also, Grandia 2, Final Fantasy X, and Tales of Symphonia all came out relatively close to one another and all had plots involving taking a Chosen Priestess on a pilgrimage to collect summon spirits in order to save the world, but it turns out that this is also basically suicide for the priestess in question and there is some sort of massive unexpected twist about the true nature of the church that is requesting this, however they all do this in completely different ways so none of them feel like they are cribbing off of one another.

    Final Fantasy X and Tales of Symphonia also are among the few games of their series to that point to have direct sequels that notably changed the gameplay mechanics and is generally considered to be a big step back in terms of overall quality. Grandia Xtreme is not *technically* a sequel, but it was definitely made between Grandia 2 and 3 and is generally considered the black sheep of the family as well.
    Grandia 2 is probably my favourite JRPG. I played the heck out of it on the Dreamcast when I was like... 14 - 15... such a good video game!

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    Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, and Parasyte the Maxim all have the same concept; town gets invaded by thing, protagonists consumes or becomes consumed due to thing, protagonists become half thing, Protagonist spends seasons to learn to control thing.

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    The Undead One The Chou Lives's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lazzlo304 View Post
    Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, and Parasyte the Maxim all have the same concept; town gets invaded by thing, protagonists consumes or becomes consumed due to thing, protagonists become half thing, Protagonist spends seasons to learn to control thing.
    Too true. And by God Parasyte had one of the worst endings ever. Have not gotten into ToyokonGhoul yet, Titan yeah is extreme.

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    Digimon Adventure 02(and possibly it's sequels) and Current Pokemon anime:
    1. Both has Anti-sues for main characters
    2. Digimon 02 was not completely changing it's main characters
    3. the rest of OG Digidestined(other than Takeru and Hikari) are like Ash's friends: in terms of characters got forced into background
    4. both have Harmless Villains that can only harms main characters: Team Rocket Trio and Arukenimon and Mummymon
    5. both at least convinces everyone to pretends any Superpowered beings that aren't titular creatures(of their respective franchises) never existed
    6. Ash's Aura Powers are like Hikari's Psychic Powers in terms of being taken away with often just bad writing alone
    7. both have uniformly useless Human characters
    8. I (usually) can't think about any other Anime-style medium(mon or not) that got same treatments with this Digimon and Pokemon installments
    9. both are egregious examples of "Underpowered characters done wrong"
    10. and so on(including even the most important of people are just as useless as fodders(if not more so) as long as they're homo sapiens member)


    these allows some people that make crossovers about anime-style stuff(including Kingdom Hearts and Teen Titans as part of them) use other mon animes as Pokemon and Digimon substitutes
    Last edited by Masonicon; 03-22-2021 at 10:35 PM.
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    Extraordinary Member Güicho's Avatar
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    Same plot... Two styles to tell it. 8(ish) different settings.
    Action-Drama; band of loosely assembled mercenaries defend "town" become heroes.
    Comedy; band of "performers" mistaken for the real thing, inadvertently become the heroes.
    Last edited by Güicho; 06-26-2020 at 07:24 PM.

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    Legendary God of Pirates Nik Hasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Chou Lives View Post
    Too true. And by God Parasyte had one of the worst endings ever.
    Eh? Parasyte's ending was fine, what didn't you like about it?

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nik Hasta View Post
    Eh? Parasyte's ending was fine, what didn't you like about it?
    The hero ends up alone, not able to save his girl friend despite all the posts he had to put up with. It’s seiner. It’s good seiner. The ending does not make me hate it. Just, I feel for the guy.

    Still a good series and it did not throw punches, so left myself open.

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    2002's Time Machine with 4th episode of Marvel Studios' What if: both are about someone lost their loved ones where that loss drives him to change the past only ended up causing doomsday events
    whatever Scientists tells us what they believes are the only things that exists in Reality(our world), they treats what US government and mainstream news media said about things like 9/11, CO2 Emissions, and so on as their gospel

    https://lnk.bio/Masonicon

    calling Real Life Martial Artists that can break walls "Comic Book Peak Human" is like calling Pre-new52!Cassandra Cain "Shounen Manga character"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Güicho View Post
    Same plot... Two styles to tell it. 8(ish) different settings.
    Action-Drama; band of loosely assembled mercenaries defend "town" become heroes.
    Comedy; band of "performers" mistaken for the real thing, inadvertently become the heroes.
    Magnificent Seven is an American western adaptation of Seven Samurai, and Battle Beyond the Stars is a sci-fi "adaptation" of both Seven Samurai AND Magnificent Seven, to the point the protagonist's homeworld is called Akir and its people Akira, for Akira Kurosawa.
    Critics who treat adult as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence.
    - C.S. Lewis

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    Actually the shinichi in parasyte does save the main love interest Satoma in the ending since migi wakes up just in time

    However the secondary love interested Kana dies well before the ending.
    Last edited by bruceleegreyhulk; 12-08-2021 at 11:22 PM.
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