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star_ocean_fanAsk the Star Ocean Character - Deputy Director Shimada
Hello everyone, and welcome to the fifth installation of Ask the Star Ocean Character. After much trials and tribulations, I am pleased to announce today's guest, Deputy Director Shimada!
Shimada: /looking around as he lounges on one of the sofas, his three lackeys behind him/ I don't like this. The lighting in here makes me look bad . . .
Lackey #1: Yes, sir, it does.
Lackey #2: Very much so . . .
I didn't realize we were going to have the entourage today . . .
Shimada: These are my advisers. They come with me wherever I go.
I've noticed . . . What do they advise you on?
Shimada: Oh /waving a hand airily/ this and that.
Do they ever disagree with you?
Shimada: No. Why would they do that?
You said they were your advisers. Don't advisers usually disagree with someone they're advising?
Shimada: Mine don't.
So how do you know that you're on the right course?
Shimada: I always know I'm on the right course. They tell me as much.
All three lackeys: /various echoes of "Indeed, we do" and "That's right".
They sound like a bunch of yes men more than they do advisers.
Shimada: It's what I pay them to do . . . /looks around in disgust/ How come nothing is being done with the lighting? I swear, you're out to make me look bad, you ungrateful wench!
Ungrateful?
Shimada: Yes, I'm here, wasting precious time with this interview, and you're not doing everything you can to make me look good!
Sorry, but it would take a lot of photoshopping to make that fat gut of yours disappear and several years of therapy to take care of that nasty attitude of yours.
Shimada: Why, I've never been so insulted in my life! Don't you realize who I am?
Yes, I do. You're Deputy Director Shimada, a rather insignificant person in the grand scheme of things when compared to what the heroes, like Edge Maverick and Fayt Leingod do when it comes to saving the universe.
Shimada: /sputtering in indignation/
Let's continue, shall we? Speaking of people like Edge Maverick, why do you consider people in the SRF to be expendable?
Shimada: /trying to regain his composure/ I don't . . .
Actually, you do . . . you're on a recording, saying that the crews of the SRF ships are expendable, that you were more worried about recovering the Aquila intact. I'm sure the families of these men and women would disagree with you.
Shimada: Those ships cost a lot of money.
Yes. Ships cost money, but people generally mourn the loss of loved ones over a ship in instances like this. Plus, did you ever consider that Edge had no way to bring the Aquila back if the crew was dead?
Shimada: . . .
I thought so. Now for some questions from the audience. From Mrs. Nox, she asks, why didn't you add more rooms to the Calnus so we wouldn't have to choose between Faize and Arumat? Why?
Shimada: No one had to choose between anyone . . . There is plenty of room on those ships for twenty people.
Right . . . and from agarfinkel, do you have any regrets for what you've done? I'd rather like to know this myself.
Shimada: Regrets are for the weak. Now, if you'll excuse me, there are things I need to do. /gets up and leaves/
Thanks for tuning! Next time on Ask the Star Ocean Character, Bacchus D-79!
**********************************************************************
Dream Houses, Part Five - Deputy Director Shimada
Deputy Director Shimada is the kind of person who wouldn't be satisfied with the kind of mansion or estates the rich and pompous have come to enjoy. I'm sure that's the kind of home he has for the events of The Last Hope, a very grand and ostentatious home that displays the kind of opulence he enjoys.
However, I don't think he's satisfied with what he has for a home - multiple bedrooms, a full kitchen, and rooms for recreation, entertain, and political bantering and boosting complete with a staff that he abuses as much as he does his subordinates in the USTA and SRF. Shimada wants the highest symbol of power. He wants the White House equivalent. He wants that status of power and the ultimate symbol to show that would be to live in a house people associate with power. Where that particular home is located, I don't know, but it's an agreed upon location that would offer up some form of neutrality for the world's population.
After that, his home of opulence is where he would be once he served his terms of "service".
************************************************************************
Character Facts about Shimada
Furin Cha is his Japanese voice actor
I couldn't find on imdb.com who voiced him.
***********************************************************************
Character Study - Deputy Director Shimada
From the in-game dictionary: An elite bureaucrat who oversees the USTA as the deputy director of the Greater United Nations. Serving as Stephen D. Kenny's direct superior, he has built his career out of taking Kenny's achievements and pass them off as his own.
Shimada is probably one of the most despicable characters in The Last Hope. I find the bosses fought along the way to be more palpable than Shimada. At least most of the bosses fought along the way, they have a reason or driving force behind their actions. They're not always right, but there is a sense that they could be redeemed, if they were given the chance.
The Deputy Director is not one such person. He's the kind of guy the player wants to see die an agonizing death or receive some kind of comeuppance. According to one fan on the Star Ocean wikia, he's quite abusive towards his subordinates, and I definitely agree with that assessment. Some might feel he got it when half of the Moonbase was wiped out in the attack from Nox Obscuris. I personally wanted to something different for him at the end of the game. I wanted him to live so he could feel that resounding defeat of Kenny winning the election. I like it when I can see characters sulk . . .
Anyway, to Shimada's personality . . . he's quite the self-absorbed character. He doesn't want anything to make him look bad, never mind he's got a gut that makes him look he's pregnant. I'm not against fat people, but his gut gives me the impression he eats as much food as he can, not because he thinks he's going to starve (something that would stem in many thanks to WWIII), but more because he doesn't want anyone else to have his food. He's selfish, arrogant, and more than a little stupid.
But why is Shimada so self-serving? What is it that we're not seeing about him that maybe we should?
In essence, nothing, really. Some people, no matter how nice you are to them, no matter how well they're raised by their parents, they're just creeps all around and not very nice people.
Hello everyone, and welcome to the fifth installation of Ask the Star Ocean Character. After much trials and tribulations, I am pleased to announce today's guest, Deputy Director Shimada!
Shimada: /looking around as he lounges on one of the sofas, his three lackeys behind him/ I don't like this. The lighting in here makes me look bad . . .
Lackey #1: Yes, sir, it does.
Lackey #2: Very much so . . .
I didn't realize we were going to have the entourage today . . .
Shimada: These are my advisers. They come with me wherever I go.
I've noticed . . . What do they advise you on?
Shimada: Oh /waving a hand airily/ this and that.
Do they ever disagree with you?
Shimada: No. Why would they do that?
You said they were your advisers. Don't advisers usually disagree with someone they're advising?
Shimada: Mine don't.
So how do you know that you're on the right course?
Shimada: I always know I'm on the right course. They tell me as much.
All three lackeys: /various echoes of "Indeed, we do" and "That's right".
They sound like a bunch of yes men more than they do advisers.
Shimada: It's what I pay them to do . . . /looks around in disgust/ How come nothing is being done with the lighting? I swear, you're out to make me look bad, you ungrateful wench!
Ungrateful?
Shimada: Yes, I'm here, wasting precious time with this interview, and you're not doing everything you can to make me look good!
Sorry, but it would take a lot of photoshopping to make that fat gut of yours disappear and several years of therapy to take care of that nasty attitude of yours.
Shimada: Why, I've never been so insulted in my life! Don't you realize who I am?
Yes, I do. You're Deputy Director Shimada, a rather insignificant person in the grand scheme of things when compared to what the heroes, like Edge Maverick and Fayt Leingod do when it comes to saving the universe.
Shimada: /sputtering in indignation/
Let's continue, shall we? Speaking of people like Edge Maverick, why do you consider people in the SRF to be expendable?
Shimada: /trying to regain his composure/ I don't . . .
Actually, you do . . . you're on a recording, saying that the crews of the SRF ships are expendable, that you were more worried about recovering the Aquila intact. I'm sure the families of these men and women would disagree with you.
Shimada: Those ships cost a lot of money.
Yes. Ships cost money, but people generally mourn the loss of loved ones over a ship in instances like this. Plus, did you ever consider that Edge had no way to bring the Aquila back if the crew was dead?
Shimada: . . .
I thought so. Now for some questions from the audience. From Mrs. Nox, she asks, why didn't you add more rooms to the Calnus so we wouldn't have to choose between Faize and Arumat? Why?
Shimada: No one had to choose between anyone . . . There is plenty of room on those ships for twenty people.
Right . . . and from agarfinkel, do you have any regrets for what you've done? I'd rather like to know this myself.
Shimada: Regrets are for the weak. Now, if you'll excuse me, there are things I need to do. /gets up and leaves/
Thanks for tuning! Next time on Ask the Star Ocean Character, Bacchus D-79!
**********************************************************************
Dream Houses, Part Five - Deputy Director Shimada
Deputy Director Shimada is the kind of person who wouldn't be satisfied with the kind of mansion or estates the rich and pompous have come to enjoy. I'm sure that's the kind of home he has for the events of The Last Hope, a very grand and ostentatious home that displays the kind of opulence he enjoys.
However, I don't think he's satisfied with what he has for a home - multiple bedrooms, a full kitchen, and rooms for recreation, entertain, and political bantering and boosting complete with a staff that he abuses as much as he does his subordinates in the USTA and SRF. Shimada wants the highest symbol of power. He wants the White House equivalent. He wants that status of power and the ultimate symbol to show that would be to live in a house people associate with power. Where that particular home is located, I don't know, but it's an agreed upon location that would offer up some form of neutrality for the world's population.
After that, his home of opulence is where he would be once he served his terms of "service".
************************************************************************
Character Facts about Shimada
Furin Cha is his Japanese voice actor
I couldn't find on imdb.com who voiced him.
***********************************************************************
Character Study - Deputy Director Shimada
From the in-game dictionary: An elite bureaucrat who oversees the USTA as the deputy director of the Greater United Nations. Serving as Stephen D. Kenny's direct superior, he has built his career out of taking Kenny's achievements and pass them off as his own.
Shimada is probably one of the most despicable characters in The Last Hope. I find the bosses fought along the way to be more palpable than Shimada. At least most of the bosses fought along the way, they have a reason or driving force behind their actions. They're not always right, but there is a sense that they could be redeemed, if they were given the chance.
The Deputy Director is not one such person. He's the kind of guy the player wants to see die an agonizing death or receive some kind of comeuppance. According to one fan on the Star Ocean wikia, he's quite abusive towards his subordinates, and I definitely agree with that assessment. Some might feel he got it when half of the Moonbase was wiped out in the attack from Nox Obscuris. I personally wanted to something different for him at the end of the game. I wanted him to live so he could feel that resounding defeat of Kenny winning the election. I like it when I can see characters sulk . . .
Anyway, to Shimada's personality . . . he's quite the self-absorbed character. He doesn't want anything to make him look bad, never mind he's got a gut that makes him look he's pregnant. I'm not against fat people, but his gut gives me the impression he eats as much food as he can, not because he thinks he's going to starve (something that would stem in many thanks to WWIII), but more because he doesn't want anyone else to have his food. He's selfish, arrogant, and more than a little stupid.
But why is Shimada so self-serving? What is it that we're not seeing about him that maybe we should?
In essence, nothing, really. Some people, no matter how nice you are to them, no matter how well they're raised by their parents, they're just creeps all around and not very nice people.
