“I've got a story idea for
you.”
I turned toward my
brother, barely able to hide the disdain on my face. “Another one?
What happened to your last idea?
You know, the one that was pretty much Cowboy Bebop?”
“Forget that one. I’ve got a new idea.” He folded his arms and smirked, nodding to
himself at the thought of his idea’s inherent brilliance (as he often did). “Okay.
So there are these guys…with cybernetic implants…and they’re all bounty hunters…and…”
I tilted my head. “You sure love pushing that cybernetic
implant angle, don’t you?” I turned back
to the computer screen. “And I’m pretty
sure you’ve already pitched this idea before.
Something about cyber ninjas, or assassins, or whatever.”
“It’s a good idea! You should write that -- forget about all
your other stories and write that one!”
I shook my head. “I’ll tell you what. If you can give me a better pitch -- one
that’s fully thought out, doesn’t just copy Cowboy
Bebop or Outlaw Star or any other
anime, and DOESN’T have cyber-ninjas -- then I’ll think about it. But you’ve gotta put in a little work. Give
me something to work with.”
“Oh yeah, I’ll give you
something good!” And to this day, I
await that “something good.”
To say that my brother
and I have divergent tastes is like saying maple syrup is different from wet
cement. We tend to have clashing
worldviews, as expected of two brothers; he’s the cynic to my optimist, the
pride to my self-deprecation, the Ken to my Ryu (quite literally, across a
number of fighting games). But the one
point that we’ve never seen eye-to-eye on is the concept of ninjas. He’s always been a fan of them, proclaiming
that they’re the ultimate badass warriors; I’ve always put more stock in the
samurai, and I’ve gone on record explaining why I have such a strong distaste
for ninjas in fiction. And of course,
he’s tried dipping his hands into my stories -- trying to make them nastier,
more mature tales full of sword-swinging spectacle, without understanding what
made the stories he likes (or stories in general) work. I assume he’s gotten wiser in the years since
his pitches…but then I remember that he bought Resident Evil 6 at full price, and I’m filled with near-lethal
amounts of shame and apprehension.
But you know what,
bro? You finally got your wish. You wanted cyber-ninjas? Then for once, I’ll indulge you.