As a blonde who has traveled globally a lot, I'm calling a bit of bullshit here, there is no way in hell the homogenous Mysidians wouldn't see Joshua's strawberry blonde locks and not freak the fuck out. People get... weird... over hair colors. I would have loved to see Joshua surrounded by a horde of people wanting to paint his picture, touching his hair, calling him beautiful, following him everywhere, even bringing their kids out to look at his hair. It would have been hilarious to watch him handle that.
I feel like Shula is being way too hard on herself. She says they live in poverty, but I wouldn't call it worse than the average person had even before the game events started. I don't see how they live any different than say, the people in Moore or Eastpool (before... you know).
And at present times? They live in luxury. Clear sky, no akashic, no blight. Their lives are better than pretty much everyone. Nobles would pay about anything to move there. I say she's done an amazing job.
Cloud: Left home as a teenager to join the elite ranks of a ruthless army. Met up with Tifa years later clearly battle hardened. Comfortable slaughtering Shinra troops and various wildlife for 1.5 games now.
*Shinra troops attack, alongside Scarlett, who has proven over and over to be a wretched cunt*
Tifa: Cloud, stop killing the enemy! Why are you killing the enemy who is shooting at you? *shocked Pikachu face*
I really liked Kihel, aka Medicine Girl. She was an ordinary girl living the consequences of Clive's actions. She was basically Vaan done right.
My biggest issue with Vaan was that he was supposed to represent the lower classes, the ordinary folk caught up in the shenanigans of the elite. But the problem is, once Vaan joins up with Princess Ashe, he's no longer ordinary. He loses the ordinary folk status. He has a direct line of communication and influence with the people making world changing actions. So the whole "I'm just a normal guy" goes out the window and he's just an annoying kid.
With Medicine Girl, she has no say with Clive destroying the crystals. She probably doesn't have a clue about Mythos or Ultima. She doesn't even get a name until the very end. She probably did have a hand in saving the world by healing Dion, but nobody knows or cares, and Dion peaces out as soon as he can stand (though he does fix this later).
I like that she doesn't rise to become an advisor or a powerful person despite healing the Prince (emperor? technically?) of Sanbreque. In the short term absolutely nothing happens and she gets no accolades, she stays a nobody in a slum. If she ends up being Leviathan, she's just going to be another Vaan. It would add to the idea that some people are Just Special and that ordinary people should never imagine that their actions could in fact impact the world in big ways.
Cloud honey I love you but what the fuck is this. This is not how you pose for photos. Where did you even get this idea?? Were you really into the Village People? I have more questions about this that I do on what's going on with the plot, and that is REALLY saying something.