Anime continues its global takeover, and Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games ‒ Episode 6 is the latest title making waves. Whether you follow the manga, the anime, or both, this news changes the picture in a big way.
The Story So Far
Whatever the genre of player you want to call Mio—overly optimistic and earnestly strategizing with something spiritually similar to “I just won't get successful”—is so real. I guarantee you, everyone with any connection to the FGC knows someone like this (if they're not this type themselves). They're real, and even in real life—anecdotally, at least—everyone who fits this archetype I've met has been nothing but charming.
Overly hopeful, yes, but charming. And Mio, in this regard, is no different. As the girls set out for their first significant, I can't help but love Mio's “But I'm going to win!!
We have to stick around for the whole tournament, because I'll be playing up until the end!!” attitude. There's something so endearing about it, and if I didn't already love her before (and I did), I certainly do now. As much as I find myself loving Mio this week, I have a long way to go before I can catch up to how much Aya loves her.
Not since Naruto and Sasuke have I seen a more obvious rivals-to-lovers pairing as Aya and Mio. And that is, I think, a good comparison to make, because in many ways they're like battle shonen rivals who obviously have so much more chemistry with each other than even their intended love interests, except you know, it's actually intentional this time (because this time, they're the love interests).
The absolute level of yearning I could feel radiating from the major screen when Aya was trying to fall asleep whilst looking at Mio's empty futon—be still my beating heart! In any case, as the girls finally actually arrive at EVO Japan and we see them take it all in and appreciate how cool it is that they get to be there, I find myself also reminded of something I've really only gained an appreciation for fairly recently, as I've gotten into the more competitive side of trading card games (Pokémon, in particular).
Specifically, you can just walk into any fighting game significant—well, any save for a handful of invitationals, but certainly all the largest tournaments—and even if it's your first time playing a game, you can compete so long as you pay your entry. Anyone, at any tournament—it's open-bracket. Meanwhile in Pokémon TCG-land, you have to get invited to participate in Worlds (the biggest tournament of the year, which is actually happening later this month), and I'll save you a bit of a tangent and just say that it's gotten considerably harder to do that in recent years, as they've changed the requirements.
Regionals, meanwhile, are open in theory, but many tend to successful their limit pretty quickly these days. This has all really made me appreciate the openness of the FGC, and episodes like this one, which highlight how happy the girls feel to be there—and, by extension, that they can be there at all in spite of everything—really encapsulate why that openness is such a wonderful thing.
Suffice to say, as always, this anime brings an interesting dose of reality with it. For the first tim…
For now, fans have plenty to discuss, and the industry has plenty to analyse. TeraMovies will be tracking every twist in this story as it unfolds, bringing you the full picture from the world of entertainment.
