Big Eaters

Hypotheses for, and analyses of, the various Suikoden characters.
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sticky-runes
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Big Eaters

Post by sticky-runes »

This seems to be a regularly occurring trope in the Suikoden series. Who are the big eaters in the suikoden world, and what are your thoughts on them?

Pahn: The first one we meet in the first game. His journal is filled with entries of what meals he's eaten throughout each day, and nothing else. He often speaks about food at every opportunity, and Cleo often makes fun of his eating habits, or tells him off about eating with his mouth full. Even in serious moments, like when he's about to fight alone against Teo McDohl, he says "I'll be home in time for supper" (potentially the last thing he says to us before he dies)

Viktor: When we first meet Viktor, he has eaten too much food at Marie's Inn, before realizing he doesn't have enough money to pay his bill. When he sees us being confronted by the Imperial guards, it gives Viktor a good opportunity to play the nice guy and escort us from the premise, so he can avoid having to pay. So Viktor's appetite obviously overrides his money sense. In S2 they play further on Viktor's eating habits with the cook off game, as he is one of the characters who will give a high score for just about any meal that gets put in front of him, and during the bath scenes, there is a lot of banter between Fliktor about Viktor's weight and dieting plans.

Fu su Lu: Another big guy who has eaten too much food at an inn, and asks us to pay for his meal in exchange for his strength in battle.

Rikimaru: Yet another character who needs us to pay his food bill at an inn. When we first meet him, he has collapsed from starvation and we end up paying for his meal, which allows him to join us. He seems very happy when we recruit Hai Yo and open up the restaurant at the castle. Rikimaru is also one of the characters who will enjoy any meal in the cook off game.

Bolgan: One of the few big eaters who is actually fat. After we get through North Sparrow Pass and defeat the mist monster, his only thoughts are "I'm hungry." Guess we found something to snack on on the way to Kyaro, otherwise Bolgan might have collapsed like Rikimaru. Bolgan's notes in the suggestion box include messages about having a picnic and eating lots of food, and he is another character who will give a high score for any meal in the cook off game. Bolgan is also a candidate for the Greenhill college mission so I'll bet he enjoys the school cafeteria food as much as Nanami does.

Nanami: Like Pahn, she enjoys martial arts training and food. She often shows concern for Riou, worrying that he doesn't eat enough for a growing boy. But she does enjoy the cafeteria food at the Greenhill college (except spinach) and she probably appreciates not having to be the one to cook, although she does try to give Nina some advice about what sort of food to make for Flik's lunchbox.

Tal: One of Lazlo's closest friends at the academy, this lazy-active guy thoroughly enjoys the food laid out at the graduation party. When a young girl is kidnapped by pirates, you have the option to ask Tal for assistance, or tell him to stay behind and carry on eating. He will agree with either answer you give. a little girl being kidnapped is not more important than filling your belly at a party celebrating your knighthood, right?? Tal also turns out to be a skilled fisherman. He does seem to actually enjoy the activity, as he doesn't say much about eating the fish afterwards. So I guess being a knight was never really his calling. It gave him a place to eat and make friends and fall asleep on his feet during Glen's talks. Good thing Lazlo doesn't give long-winded speeches after he becomes a commander, eh?!
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Sasarai10
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Re: Big Eaters

Post by Sasarai10 »

Where is Nikea from SV? She was my favorite, and she was cute too.
AlOnZo
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Re: Big Eaters

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L.C Chan: Another fighter, another absolute bottomless pit and bill dodger! What is it was these guys and having no potch to pay these poor Inn Keepers. They got bills to pay y'know!
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sticky-runes
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Re: Big Eaters

Post by sticky-runes »

Good entries! Nikea was a good laugh. An ass kicking bimbo! and at least L.C. Chan didn't ask us to pay for his meal. He had the decency to run away!
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Re: Big Eaters

Post by Antimatzist »

Cedric in Suikoden IV as well! At least he's a fast eater.
Wolkendrache
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Re: Big Eaters

Post by Wolkendrache »

In the novel, the big eaters (and drinkers) were a) those with extremely high physical power combined with a hot temper; and b) people with lower privileges, not from the higher levels of society like scholars or high military officials for example. A theory could be: uncontrollable appetite symbolizes uncontrollable strength, and they lack the philosophical/ethical background to control it (e.g. rules of conduct, teachings of self-discipline and austereness).
For Suikoden, you could add this criterion: those who train a lot. In the novel the majority of characters are described as extremely hardworking in terms of martial arts training, so it’s hard to make a link.
All that fits quite well to the characters listed so far, not always, but still.

Suikoden 1 characters are very similar to their star equivalents in the novel. The novel’s biggest eaters (that I remember) are Lu Zhishen who shares the same star with Viktor, and Li Kui who shares the same star with Fu Su Lu.
"Within the four seas, all men are brothers" Shuihu Zhuan
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sticky-runes
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Re: Big Eaters

Post by sticky-runes »

Wolkendrache wrote:In the novel, the big eaters (and drinkers) were a) those with extremely high physical power combined with a hot temper; and b) people with lower privileges, not from the higher levels of society like scholars or high military officials for example.
That's an interesting observation. You can kind of see it reflected in Riou and Jowy's mannerisms.

When Jowy and Riou are captives in the mercenary fort, We see Riou (the commoner) happily pigging down on whatever food the mercs give him, while Jowy (the nobleman) sits quietly, barely looking at his plate. He asks Pohl for a spoon, and Pohl even makes a jibe about him being a "fine nobleman" (Jowy would rather wait for a spoon so he can slowly sip his soup while the regular mercs would probably just gulp it down straight out of the bowl). Of course, Jowy does use the spoon to pick the lock later so they can escape, but he also offers Riou his carrots, so Jowy is clearly not as concerned about his own appetite. I'll bet he would have been a picky judge if he was invited to the cook-off contest.
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Sasarai10
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Re: Big Eaters

Post by Sasarai10 »

Also Dario. He was a big eater too, although he was stealing others' food. And maybe Brec I guess.
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sticky-runes
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Re: Big Eaters

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Oh yeah, there were some good gags in Tactics about Dario's eating habits. I liked the chat where Hervey tells Kika that Dario has been taking extra rations and asks her if she wants him to beat Dario up. Kika says no, she will talk with Dario and Hervey says "He's gonna wish she let me beat him up!"
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