What makes The Middle Way the journal that it is today? We explore the different story arcs that had been used in the update, how it is related to other arcs and what does it do to get the message of "the Middle Way". Let's look at two samurais brought to the future, the story of a person who had a history of struggle and success, and the story of the narrator, which also faced challenges in the creation of the journal as well as the relations between him and his peers.
FUTARIZAMURAI (TWO SAMURAIS)A story between two best friends turned foes; then a twist in the sphere of time forced the two to work together again and rebuild their relationship. This is the story of Honda Shigetomo and Ii Naotaka. In 1625, they faced each other in the Battle of Ichijoudani, where the two were purported to be killed by opposing forces.
Then, a mysterious incident brought the 2 'deceased' lords in the modern era, where they had to adapt to modern Sanese Culture and learn new things. This story arc was used since the 8th Update, which was the Battle of Ichijoudani. A recommendation by Simtropolis member Odainsaker gave me the idea to expand on the story line a little bit, so I watched Sengoku Jietai (Samurai JSDF) and from there, I created a story line where the people of the past will be transported into the future. The main beginning of the modern arc started on the 10th Update, which was titled 'The Time Slip'. |
PROJECT ONJUKUThis is a recreation of Sakurajima (Island) in Japan, with emphasis on the existing roads of the islands, topography, vegetation, as well as Volcanoes. Since the creation of this arc, only one town is created, which was Sakurajimakoikecho. This town is the main access point from the mainland city of Kagoshima and hosts ferry services, Hot Springs (Onsen) and convenience stores. It is also the fishing hub on Kagoshima Bay, home to Japan's first Aquaculture business.
|
HISTORICAL FLASHBACKSOnce in a while, The Middle Way does some historical updates within the geographical sphere of the Sanese Islands. Whether be it in the Sengoku Period or in the 1970s, these explore the deplorable conditions of people and how they solved their issues by hard work, patience and dedication in solving a common goal. These provide a background on the story of Okaiken and why things look the way that it is.
|
RAWKAIKENEver wondered what's behind the update? Don't look further than Rawkaiken (Raw + Okaiken), the database for the base images. Taken from its purest form, Rawkaiken is a record of how things are being created in the journal, from image editing to construction and even a few gaming tricks therein. Also provided are some ideas that the author had found out during the update, such as the latest anime or drama and even musical inspiration.
|