What would you change?

[M-92 Mantis]

I'd like it if Yoshi could remember what he wrote a few years ago, instead of completely destroying any semblance of canon or continuity he had in previous stuff to confuse everyone. Like John, he has English commands and (correct me if I'm wrong, I may just be assuming this) was said by Hidetoshi to come from America, hence his commands in that language, but then when his nephew from out of nowhere shows up, suddenly John and Andy are from Finland? Not to mention Andy was made for Finland because Yoshi forgot or didn't want to make a Karelian Bear Dog like he promised them at the convention. So instead he makes it so John, a German Shepherd, from Finland, was bought by a Japanese man, who taught him English commands. Alright.

Little tiny errors I don't mind, EVERYONE creates continuity or plot holes, no one can be that thorough, but Yoshi wanted people to not count as canon: the Hakkenshi wolves and the Battouga's origins (wtf, not like THAT'S important or anything), the Yukimura/Monkey Arc (I think he apologized for this one? Kit can refresh my memory), the Hybrid Arc (he said he didn't like it), and now apparently NONE of Ohu remember what a bear is or smells like because the Hybrid never happened, but really it makes it look like everyone has short-term memory issues, and bad. I think there's more "cut canon" I'm forgetting, but those are entire arcs, like, in a row... how can you... why would you do that?

[Paragon]

Jun 7, 2015 14:01:37 GMT -7 M-92 Mantis said:

I'd like it if Yoshi could remember what he wrote a few years ago, instead of completely destroying any semblance of canon or continuity he had in previous stuff to confuse everyone. Like John, he has English commands and (correct me if I'm wrong, I may just be assuming this) was said by Hidetoshi to come from America, hence his commands in that language, but then when his nephew from out of nowhere shows up, suddenly John and Andy are from Finland? Not to mention Andy was made for Finland because Yoshi forgot or didn't want to make a Karelian Bear Dog like he promised them at the convention. So instead he makes it so John, a German Shepherd, from Finland, was bought by a Japanese man, who taught him English commands. Alright.

Little tiny errors I don't mind, EVERYONE creates continuity or plot holes, no one can be that thorough, but Yoshi wanted people to not count as canon: the Hakkenshi wolves and the Battouga's origins (wtf, not like THAT'S important or anything), the Yukimura/Monkey Arc (I think he apologized for this one? Kit can refresh my memory), the Hybrid Arc (he said he didn't like it), and now apparently NONE of Ohu remember what a bear is or smells like because the Hybrid never happened, but really it makes it look like everyone has short-term memory issues, and bad. I think there's more "cut canon" I'm forgetting, but those are entire arcs, like, in a row... how can you... why would you do that?

Oh my dear sweet lord.
This guy is just--
Ughhhhh.

Clearly he's using those arcs as canon still. (Or at least Hybrid & Monkey.) Or he would have made some mention of characters like Yukimura or GB. (Or is he just planning to brush major character death off as nothing?) I didn't like those Arcs either, but they still happened. You can't just interchange arcs and then pick and choose. I mean I guess he can. But that's just... No. It's a horrible thing to do, and very very very confusing.

The Wolf Arc he can work around. I mean it makes a lot of sense, and gives a lot of back-story. But it's still rather optional. But for the other two?
Yoshi that's just an asshole move.

As for promising his fans one thing, and giving them another.
Ew is all I can manage to say.

Also you were right Rascal, John knew English commands in his first encounter.

[The Kirbeard™]

Can someone explain to me what canon even means? I never understood it.

[Paragon]

Jun 7, 2015 16:08:17 GMT -7 The Kirbeard™ said:

Can someone explain to me what canon even means? I never understood it.

Canon basically means something factual that happens in the story. (ie. Smith being male is canon. However some people like to "headcanon" that he's actually a female.) Headcanon means something not factual that you yourself like to believe.

If the story outright says something, or has a certain event, then it's canon.

[M-92 Mantis]

Paragon explained it best. It means actual, right in your face facts that are shown or said by characters, narration, or an image. Headcanon or 'fanon' is a fan's made-up beliefs that they usually will try and use as actual canon or push other people into accepting it. It used to be terms for insane hardcore fans who tried putting their ideas or theories into a character or part of the story and enying all proof otherwise, even if the creator of the work himself disproves it. Nowadays it can mean anything like when people like to analyze something and go "I like to believe this is what happened when it wasn't shown in the story."

Canon: Hougen is a Great Dane.

Fanon/Headcanon: Hougen is a Great Dane with some ancient Hakkenshi blood in him, therefore I believe he can do the Battouga and is better than Weed or Gin's because I like thinking that.

So Yoshi changing his own canon, as in actual official facts or plot conveniences that he keeps rewriting or forgetting, makes continuity become a clusterfuck over time, because you have to sorta accept that both are now technically 'canon' unless the creator says otherwise (some creators will mention AU projects, others will want to overwrite old canon with new facts), or fans choose one set of canon that they like better (I like the Hakkenshi explanation better than random-ass "bearhound abilities" that were never mentioned until convenient in the final battle.")

[AbbyStabby]

Jun 7, 2015 12:46:56 GMT -7 Kit said:

I have yet to post here because I'm still thinking of something that other people haven't said better. But AbbyStabby, if I remember correctly, in an interview, Yoshi admitted he uses no references. Or at least very few. If memory serves, he drew at least SSY without a single reference, and his style with dogs evolved from that story, so...

Also I'm weirdly glad you brought up how he draws the male... part. Because I was never ballzy enough (HAH!) to actually bring up how that always bugged the hell out of me from an anatomical standpoint, too. He never even needs to draw it, but then when he does, anyway, he just ignores all basic anatomy, AGAIN. It probably shouldn't bug me so much, but it really does.

His paws drive me insane, too. Even when he sometimes gets them right, the pads are flat and it just all generally weirds me out trying to think that it's supposed to be a dog paw.

I could have sworn he did use references because I've seen his works of when he's drawing anatomically correct, realistic dogs. The worst part of it all, really, is that I know he CAN do it based off those particular drawings I've seen. I KNOW he CAN do it, he just refuses to. That's a very poor, unprofessional decision for an artist to make.
And while not looking at references worked for SSY, that doesn't mean it works for everything. Actually, if what you say is true about SSY, I'd say it's an absolute miracle. That and his dogs started out more realistic (give or take) so I imagine he was drawing with references beforehand.

YEAH. I always say "Why" to myself whenever moments like that happen in his comics. It's so frustrating and can very much blindside you when he does it for no reason what so ever.
It's ok to be bothered by it. I'm glad you are.

Yeahh same here... :/ Dang that Yoshihiro guy.

@ Everyone talking about the platoon thing: I really think Yoshihiro should have had split stories about the other platoons so that we knew about characters that weren't with Ben and Gin. Meaning there would be more times the story would split off (for more suspense sometimes too) from Gin and them to explain what the heck his happening with the other groups of dogs Riki sent off. That way we'd know them, grow attached to them, and not be so bloody confused as to why Riki only chose dogs from Gin's group to lead everyone around.

And what would have been nice is if Riki placed trust in the Leaders of each platoon to assign who should lead what groups of dogs. That way they wouldn't have to waste time having Riki talk to everyone and decide for himself who does what.

@ Kirby: Haha, that's what we'd like the believe but Weed has the paw problem too. More often than not his toes line up like Thunder's, it's only when we have to see the paws do they usually have realistic proportions. And that goes for every single dog this guy draws.

@ Rascal: YES THANK YOU. That ALWAYS bugged me about John, that he knows English commands but came from Finland? I know they learn English over there (I have a friend or two from there) but that's not their native tongue. I think John would have made a more interesting character if he came from the US and sometimes had trouble communicating with the other dogs/people in Japan due to his upbringing, even frustrating him because he's such a hot-headed idiot.

And I think that, yes, excluding the Wolf arc of GNG to explain the techniques Riki/Gin/Weed/Orion use is extremely important, even if it ended up being poorly written.
I can't say much for what happened after Hougan's arc in GDW since I can't read it though. ;

[The Kirbeard™]

Jun 7, 2015 16:59:40 GMT -7 AbbyStabby said:

Jun 7, 2015 12:46:56 GMT -7 Kit said:

I have yet to post here because I'm still thinking of something that other people haven't said better. But AbbyStabby, if I remember correctly, in an interview, Yoshi admitted he uses no references. Or at least very few. If memory serves, he drew at least SSY without a single reference, and his style with dogs evolved from that story, so...

Also I'm weirdly glad you brought up how he draws the male... part. Because I was never ballzy enough (HAH!) to actually bring up how that always bugged the hell out of me from an anatomical standpoint, too. He never even needs to draw it, but then when he does, anyway, he just ignores all basic anatomy, AGAIN. It probably shouldn't bug me so much, but it really does.

His paws drive me insane, too. Even when he sometimes gets them right, the pads are flat and it just all generally weirds me out trying to think that it's supposed to be a dog paw.

I could have sworn he did use references because I've seen his works of when he's drawing anatomically correct, realistic dogs. The worst part of it all, really, is that I know he CAN do it based off those particular drawings I've seen. I KNOW he CAN do it, he just refuses to. That's a very poor, unprofessional decision for an artist to make.
And while not looking at references worked for SSY, that doesn't mean it works for everything. Actually, if what you say is true about SSY, I'd say it's an absolute miracle. That and his dogs started out more realistic (give or take) so I imagine he was drawing with references beforehand.

YEAH. I always say "Why" to myself whenever moments like that happen in his comics. It's so frustrating and can very much blindside you when he does it for no reason what so ever.
It's ok to be bothered by it. I'm glad you are.

Yeahh same here... :/ Dang that Yoshihiro guy.

@ Everyone talking about the platoon thing: I really think Yoshihiro should have had split stories about the other platoons so that we knew about characters that weren't with Ben and Gin. Meaning there would be more times the story would split off (for more suspense sometimes too) from Gin and them to explain what the heck his happening with the other groups of dogs Riki sent off. That way we'd know them, grow attached to them, and not be so bloody confused as to why Riki only chose dogs from Gin's group to lead everyone around.

And what would have been nice is if Riki placed trust in the Leaders of each platoon to assign who should lead what groups of dogs. That way they wouldn't have to waste time having Riki talk to everyone and decide for himself who does what.

@ Kirby: Haha, that's what we'd like the believe but Weed has the paw problem too. More often than not his toes line up like Thunder's, it's only when we have to see the paws do they usually have realistic proportions. And that goes for every single dog this guy draws.

@ Rascal: YES THANK YOU. That ALWAYS bugged me about John, that he knows English commands but came from Finland? I know they learn English over there (I have a friend or two from there) but that's not their native tongue. I think John would have made a more interesting character if he came from the US and sometimes had trouble communicating with the other dogs/people in Japan due to his upbringing, even frustrating him because he's such a hot-headed idiot.

And I think that, yes, excluding the Wolf arc of GNG to explain the techniques Riki/Gin/Weed/Orion use is extremely important, even if it ended up being poorly written.
I can't say much for what happened after Hougan's arc in GDW since I can't read it though. ;

That would be really cool if he made a few side comics that focused on the other troops Like Rascal said, it would get pretty confusing having twelve different groups of characters to keep track of in one comic... Actually, someone should do a fan fiction about the journey's of the other platoons! I'd read them!   

Also, Yoshi kind of fails at anatomy in general... He actually fails at several things, but that's a whole other topic!

As for the whole John thing, my guess is that, (I'm completely spitballing here, so if I'm wrong, please point it out!) he was bred in Finland, but sold to someone in America, where he was trained, then sold again to Hidetoshi. That would explain why Andy is from Finland.