[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Though there are clear motives for most characters, actually Tekken does waste a number of it, in the execution. Like relegating characters into comical levels like Paul and Law (or those associated with them), or Asuka to a catfight with Lili, or 7 had most characters getting the shaft in favor of the Mishimas and Akuma. So to be specific you're talking about how the tournament is separate from the main conflict (of which actually this episode had parts like Fuwa or Horobi taking a backseat, for MetsubouJinrai stuff, or parts like that are the ones should be more focused on or relevant to the competition...). Or perhaps the literal fighting actually matters less than the competition arc where Aruto's belief in Humagears and his goal for the co-existence between them and humans is put on a test against a company who tries to discredit him?

Yeah, 7 is just a weird installment in general, for how the original Arcade Mode doesn't even factor in the story at all and most characters only get one fight (like, Paul VS Panda, that's not even the right bear!). I'd consider this to be another example of tournament arcs done poorly, in contrast to the previous installments where we actually get to see all the usual non-canon journeys of each character. Regarding the ongoing rivalry between Lili and Asuka though, I'm actually invested in that, since it makes me want to see the underdog Lili win someday.

The Job Competition arc is pretty much like you summarized. I feel like it's a mistake to have this setup of a big tournament between Aruto and Gai, where they're only spiritually present, since it's completely separate from their actual plot-relevant battles. The people competing on their behalf, we're probably never going to see most of them again, so there's little reason for me to care who wins beyond the minimum detail of Nice One VS Mean One. It's not even adding anything new to the lore, like singularity or corrupt AIMS laws, only repeating the same stuff we've already heard. As the ultimate result of the competition is limited to the main conflict between two presidents, it naturally means others can't have equal stake in it or attempt to take Hiden Intelligence for themselves. Others can only use it as a stage for business promotion and sponsorship, which is much less interesting.