flower OF THE qliphoth : a TEAR grants fansite

Started . March 14, 2007
Opened . April 17, 2007
Name . Flower of the Qliphoth
Character . Tear Grants
Game . Tales of the Abyss
Owner . Aeryvae

Long, long ago, I played a [then] little known game called Tales of Phantasia for the Super Famicon system (this one specially adapted for overseas audiences, of course). I was impressed with the illustrous graphics, the inclusion of vocals, and the unique side-scrolling battle. But beyond that, I loved the characters. The unique and well-rounded characters would come to be a staple for the series as I played through them, and what would set the Tales Of games apart from other RPGs.

I'd just finished the subpar Tales of Legendia, and was beginning to wonder if the series had run out of its magic. Legendia was filled with unoriginal and repetative dungeons, an annoying and glitchy "throwing" battle system, intellectually ungratifying end-of-level minigames, and characters I found I cared nothing about. Even worse, for a game based around its love story, I found the interactions and build up between the romantic leads forced and unbelievable, and possibly the weakest part of the game outside the gameplay. Thus, when I spotted a used copy of Tales of the Abyss in a local Blockbuster store, I was hesitant.

Thankfully, a friend of mine who worked at Blockbusters wooed me with the tantalising offer of an employee discount. I headed home to start the game, feeling serious trepidation. After all, the last one sucked beans - what were the chances this one was going to sufficiently rock? I plopped the game in my good ol' PS2...and found myself completely immersed within minutes of playing it.

I have to admit, when Tear Grants first entered the scene, I wasn't quite sure what to make of her. An assasin character attacking out of the blue, waving around death threats with no accompanying explanation - seemed to me like she was channeling a bit of a certain grudge-holding, purple-haired ninja girl. But after the hyperresonance and subsequent teleportation into unknown lands, I was pleasantly surprised at my preconceptions being thrown back into my face. Tear showed herself to be a character completely different than what I'd imagined: strong, collected and taciturn, with such maturity that I was surpised to learn she was only sixteen. I suppose it just goes to show that one shouldn't place too much importance on first impressions.

As I journeyed through the game, my appreciation for Tear grew. Being a mysterious and somewhat illusive character, I was always intrigued at the prospect of finding more about her. I was grateful for there being a strong female lead character who wasn't perfect, but had flaws and quirks, and ultimately an underlying humanity that made her completely believable.

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