Thread:Epzilon/@comment-2089817-20151016223930

Hey Epzi, I had some stuff I needed to talk to you about but I had a rather busy week so now that it's finally the weekend, I have the time to tell you everything in full.

I've been keeping myself updated on your edits on Kousa, and for the most part, I like what you've been doing. You've been putting some good detail into him and his character is really coming along fantastically. However, there is one fundamental issue I need to address, and that is how you've been expressing resonance with him. Bottom line is, I really do not like how you've been using both spatial resonance and desire resonance with him so willy-nilly.

As the title on the page states, "Zankensoki Mastery", the principle behind those resonance forms was meant in such a way that only a Master, one who specializes in that craft, would be capable of invoking them. For instance, in desire resonance, it is true that all Kidou appears to follow this paradigm. But that does not mean the actual caster is capable of invoking desire resonance on a whim without fully committing themselves to the craft. A specialist is who achieving mastery over Kidou would be able to enact their desire over a spell, allowing them to alter it, shape it, shift it into something different on a foundational level. My point is, it isn't something that is automatically available to someone just because they know Kidou. Not every Kidou user can so easily adjust a spell. To date, the only characters we've seen openly adjusting and creating spells (Hachigen, Urahara, and Mayuri) are all well-known Kidou masters. While some of them possess a modicum of skill in other fields (Urahara is adept at swordsplay and basic martial arts, for instance), the majority of their skills lie in that particular field, which has allowed them to go further than what a mere generalist would be able to do, at the cost of no longer pursuing ideas from different crafts. Urahara would never know how to perform Ikkotsu, it's far too advanced and far too grounded in Hakuda mastery for him to know it.

Yamamoto is a prime example of a specialist that is excellent for this particular situation. He has displayed both particularly high Hakuda and Kidou, but he is ultimately a Zanjutsu specialist. And here's how we know that. Ittou Kasou is ranked 96. Ninety-fucking-six. Six places above Kurohitsugi. While the Hado are ranked in terms of difficulty and not necessarily power, it goes without saying that a spell on the same level as Kurohitsugi, which was able to distort space and time, should have been able to do more to Aizen than just some light burns. Furthermore, if Yamamoto was a true Kidou master, I daresay he could've used a Shakkaho and still enacted a similar demonstration of might. Furthermore, I doubt Yamamoto could change the composition of a spell, and only knows all of the numbered spells because he has lived for so long and quite literally founded the Gotei 13. The same goes for Ikkotsu and Sokotsu. Most likely, it is the only true named technique Yamamoto, and while it might seemed advanced, to someone like Seireitou, Ikkotsu is just a normal punch. There is no doubt that to the normal Shinigami, Ikkotsu is an advanced technique, and yes, it is. But when you compare Yamamoto's Hakuda, which is most likely meant to be a fallback for when his Zanjutsu will not be helpful, to Sei's Hakuda, there is absolutely no contest. Every punch a Hakuda specialist like Sei throws would be Ikkotsu, while Yamamoto needed to enter a stance and thrust out with noticable effort on his part. He even began Sokotsu like he was preparing an ultimate attack, but for Sei, a Sokotsu would be a very simple technique. This is where the line is drawn between specialists.

Now the proof that Yamamoto is most likely a Zanjutsu specialist is that, not only does he exercise Zanjutsu techniques quite easily, like Nadegiri, but also is a capable teacher as he was able to instruct someone like Zaraki in swordsplay. Furthermore, the fact that he was able to further enhance the effectiveness of Ryujin Jakka's Bankai over a thousand years proves that he strengthened soul resonance between himself and his Zanpakuto. It is in this sense that we can call Yamamoto a Zanjutsu specialist, and therefore, he could probably invoke soul resonance without even needing to try. He probably doesn't even need Jinzen to communicate with Ryujin Jakka.

But Kousa, as he is right now, is what would be called a "generalist". A generalist is an individual who is essentially a jack-of-all-trades. They have a little from everything but not enough to really be called a master. But they manage to fight proficiently because they can combine the little stuff they know from every craft and combine it into their own fighting style. However, not only have you given Kousa techniques advanced Hakuda techniques like Shunkou, Ikkotsu, and Sokotsu, but on top of that, he can invoke desire resonance and spatial resonance. I feel like the idea of resonance is being cheapened to a mere shortcut, and that wasn't my intention at all.

I really don't see why Kousa would have desire resonance in the first place. Almost every technique you've listed there (why the fuck is a Kiai listed under Kidou?) is spiritual pressure manipulation, which is a staple of Hakuda, not Kidou. Kidou draws upon reishi to create spells, while Hakuda taps into reiatsu and weaponizes it; standard Hakuda, that is. Elemental Resonance really isn't really the same as Kidou either, since it can be produced with one's reiryoku, so it shouldn't be regarded as such either. Furthermore, Kousa seems like he's a straight-up brawler, not a mage, so why is there such a heavy Kidou aspect to him? I could see him using element resonance combined with martial arts and swordsmanship to overwhelm his opponents. Add in some nifty reiatsu techniques, like what he learned under Kuniharu, and the Buki stuff you put there as well, and you have a well-rounded character. But desire resonance, and even spatial resonance, is way too out of place. If your goal WAS to focus on Kidou, then he should have a far less focus on Hakuda and even Zanjutsu too. My point is, you really need to narrow the focus if you want to invoke resonance freely, or you need to stick with the generalist approach you seem to be taking, thus removing desire resonance and spatial resonance, but elemental resonance would still be fine if he's closely attached to a particular elemental power.

I'm not trying to steer you away from using resonance, I like that you, and others, find my page so helpful. But I want you to appreciate the meaning of a character being capable of invoking a form of resonance; it's not a shortcut. And it shouldn't be treated as such. Anyways, I just wanted to touch base on this with you, and hopefully you understand what I've said here. 