In the end, does anyone think that Yang Wenli was a bit... misguided?
He had so many opportunities to do so much. Support politicians in the Alliance that would oppose the shitty entrenched powers. Become a politician himself. Defect to the Empire once his bosses decided to sell him out. Literally anything.
But instead, he sits around, hoping that things won't get any worse while making plans for what happens when they do in the back of his head. He is a staunch supporter of the status quo, regardless of how stupid or terrible that status quo might be.
That's part of what makes him a great character, because I'm sure there are a lot of folks who can relate to that. But as much as I like him, I have to wonder what is it about his character that makes him so... reluctant to do shit. He talks about how learning from the past is supposed to help people not mess up in the future, but all it seemed to do for him is make him worried about all the ways things could go wrong if he actually tried to do anything of note.
>>13739701
Not misguided, and he's not really a supporter of the status quo. He's very relatable because he is lazy and has zero ambition. He's not supporting the current state because it's democratically elected, it's just there's no good reason for him to get all in a huff and do something incredible when all he wants from life is to read books and watch docs all day. That's the trick, he inevitably has to do things once the FPA bars him from a peaceful life.
Not so much misguided nor a supporter of the status quo, just a strong believer in the principles of republican democracy. He tells Reinhard as much himself when they meet and discuss the virtues of imperialism and democracy. A benevolent dictatorship is only guaranteed to be effective as long as the ruler is in power, while even in a worst-case democracy, voting power rests in the public's hands and there is the hope that it can fix itself.
Anyway, as a soldier he considers it extremely unethical to touch any part of the political process himself, and even if he were to retire, he did not have the right personality to become a politician.
I dunno if you've seen the gaiden/sidestory episodes, but it shows more of Yang in his early days. Even without seeing them, you should have noticed that Yang isn't ambitious and always refers to how he wants to retire with a nice adequate pension. He's reluctant to do anything that Schenkopp tells him to do like take power and rule the FPA with a military fist because it goes against his principles and his relaxed, thoughtful, and unambitious personality.
>>13739701
It's just that he had different morals from Reinhardt.
Reinhardt doesn't believe the end justifies the means, but he is an autocrat from an autocratic society. To him, the greater good is served by taking over the Empire and enforcing his own ideas on improving the human condition and bringing justice to the people.
Yang believes that he is a servant of the people. He's a republican in a democratic society, and he believes that a legitimately elected democratic government has greater moral authority than any one man.
>>13739701
Defintely misguided. Yang operated under that assumption that democracies can not do anything that is not democratic thinking that would betray the ideals of democracy. What rubbish. Even the Founders did things not authorized in the constitution in order to accomplish the greater good. Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. Honestly, it makes no sense in the first place that someone who is such a populous would be in an anti-democratic institution like the military in the first place.
>>13739868
That can be chalked up to nuclear war on Earth destroying a lot of historical records.
>>13739813
>>13739829
I guess Yang's an idealist and Reinhard's a pragmatist
>>13739868
He was in the military because it was the only way he could afford to go to college after his dad's inheritance turned out to amount to a hill of beans
>>13739868
>>13739878
That shit is literally pre-history for him.
Heck, people problably confuse the early 2000s with the middle ages in his time.
Also, Yang Wen Li never wanted
>Support politicians in the Alliance that would oppose the shitty entrenched powers
Because that always help in real life eh?
>Become a politician himself.
He never wanted to become a politic, ESPECIALLY when there was a risk people would rely on him too much and he didn't want to be a dictator, or a leader for that matter.
>Defect to the Empire once his bosses decided to sell him out
Idealism. He may not agree with his bosses, but he sure wouldn't defect from democracy to go to a rule that he doesn't believe in.
A little off-topic, but I've got a quick question for you guys. Supposedly LotGH had a really nice remastered release, but not all scenes were treated equally resulting in a sometimes jarring change between animation styles. The new artstyle looks pretty tempting, but I'd like to which one I should grab.
>>13739701
His view is that the military should be subordinate to the civillian government regardless of the situation. He is the opposite of Reinhard, who was a military guy who took over government.
The series is a bit of a Napoleon wankfest, and you're supposed to see Reinhard as the coolest and Yang as a bit wrong for not doing the same.
>>13744191
>You're supposed to see Reinhard as the coolest
Whaaaaaat? If there is one thing that LoGH makes clear it is that after seizing all of space Reinhard regressed into a warlord past his prime, still desiring battles when there were none left. Yang didn't care that much about battle, or anything other than his books and docos for that matter. Do you really find that Yang is presented as wrong for having low ambitions?
>>13739829
I respect Yang's view but Reinhardt's position seems both cooler and more effective in every way.
>>13739868
>Honestly, it makes no sense in the first place that someone who is such a populous would be in an anti-democratic institution like the military in the first place.
Yeah, if only they expanded on why he was in the military
OH WAIT
THEY DID
Fucking idiot.
>>13745152
>cooler
>more effective
Well yeah these are true (I mean cooler is subjective but i get your point), but that's the point. Reinhard is supposed to some kind of superman, a warrior king with good judgement. Yang is just your average joe except for the fact that he cannot be defeated. He is the more human, relatable figure.
He was too good for this world
Yang sticks to his ideal until the end and thats what make him equal to Reinhard even though they walk on different direction
He's a shitty mary sue that's why.
>>13747574
>Mary Sue
>doesn't always win
>fucking dies
>Mary Sue
Back to reddit
>>13747790
Funny thing is "Yang Wenli is a mary sue" is a thing I saw on reddit of all the places.
>>13747574
"shitty mary sue" is a nice oxymoron.
>>13744191
Nah you have backwards, yang is shown as a super strategist that can beat an army 10-1
