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Wondering . . .
Indeed, I wonder a great many things. Some of this is inspired by the series, Hetalia: World Series. If you've seen it, great. If not, check it out for yourselves and decide whether or not you like it.
Anyway, as many players of The Last Hope know, the opening scenes for the game are that of World War III and its aftermath on the planet and the human race. Every event in the opening scene moves along at a slightly quick pace so that we can start the game and begin the adventure of exploring the universe. Thanks to my delving into the Hetalia fandom, I can't help but wonder about the following:
What happens to the nations?
I'm not talking about the nations as characters, I'm referring to the actual nations, the ones we live in, call home, and give us a sense of identity. The first bomb the game shows razes the land, wiping out people, technology, and landmarks in the process. Will Europe, Russia, Japan, and America still even exist? I do believe, if certain comments made later in the game are to be accurate, everything becomes one in terms of politics (I'll write about that tomorrow; not even going to try and play catch-up at this moment but rather just try and resume). The people of Earth do unite to create one form of political system, and it's based off of what the U.S. has been doing since we won our independence from Great Britain.
One thing I'm sure of that survives in terms of cultural identity is that of food. In Till the End of Time, there are umai-bos, tortes, durians, stews, and cakes. In The Last Hope, there are pastas and fish and beef platters. (Oddly enough, when you can first buy uncooked pasta, it's from an Eldarian store on Aeos . . .)
Beyond the food, I'm not entirely sure what does survive when it comes to the cultural identities of the nations. I really am not, and I find it curious as to what could and would survive a nuclear holocaust.
I present the question to my fellow Star Ocean fans:
What do you think happens to the countries after World War III?
In Memorandum
Eleven years ago today, the United States of America was struck with one of the worst tragedies since the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1945 - four planes in total crashed, each hijacked by terrorists. As everyone remembers, two of the planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The third plane hit the Pentagon while the fourth crashed in a field in the Pennsylvania countryside. Over three thousand lives were lost in those dark moments and for the following week, this great nation was plunged into chaos.
If the history of the world is the history of the Star Ocean universe (which, it is), then it is entirely possible that this tragic event has played a factor in the series' World War III/post-apocalypse setting. The real world is still in chaos, and, while we're still completely aware of what a nuclear war can do to our planet, it doesn't necessarily mean that our politicians are smart enough to keep on avoiding it. While the first two games were released before the events of 9/11, Till the End of Time was released not too long afterwards . . . 2002 or 2003 (and I didn't get to play until 2004/2005).
This event, while it happened in the U.S., isn't just a tragedy for one nation. It's a tragedy for all nations. American lives weren't the only ones lost when the towers fell. It was called the World Trade Center for a reason, my friends. People from various nations worked there, and people from various nations died that day. We shouldn't ever forget that it wasn't just one nation affected by acts of terrorism. It was many nations.
For those who died not knowing what the day was going to bring, for those who died trying to save the lives of others, and for those who survived and will always live with nightmares, this is for you. We love you, and we will never forget what happened.
