Bowser and Peach

[flint_marko]

This is by AshleytheDragon.

Comments

[darkblade]

I've never been a fan of the "Peach lets Bowser kidnap her" theory. If they really had a relationship why not just be open about it and join the Mushroom and Koompa kingdoms? Their kingdoms are primarily populated by talking mushroom and turtles I'm not seeing much ground of prejudice here.

[drmcninja]

I just read something like this on Cracked.

http://www.cracked.com/article_19148_6-bizarrely-creepy-moments-from-mario-universe_p2.html

There you go, its number three. A pretty funny, if slightly profane, analysis of the same thing. And the whole Mario deal, and what Peach really thinks of him.

I'm pretty sure this is appropriate here, right?

[darkblade]

They neglected to mention that later in the same game Bowser explicitedly says that Peach is not Jr's Mother and then starts to explain who is before the scene changes and not telling us anything.

[kirke_novak]

I read that several days ago. True love, will last.

[nemryn]

Politics, probably.

[nemryn]

Or, maybe it's possible that a human-Koopa romance is too kinky to acknowledge, without full-blown prejudice being involved.

[damianwayne]

I dunno. Given how common the whole "princess with two princes" is a romantic fantasy in Asian dramatic mediums, it's probably exactly what Nintendo intends sometimes.

In the kiddier games, Peach is generally lacking a real character and it's straight up fairy tale stuff. The princess is locked in a tower, a monster guards said tower, go on ahead and save her.

But they do a whole LOT of winking at the audience in the games with dialogue and such, and it really fits the archetype... (Indecisive, bland but beautiful girl has to choose between the handsome, well-meaning dork or the suave, badass ruffian.)

[pyrotwilight]

Strangely even when I was a small child and playing my Super Nintendo and my copy of Yoshi's Island I felt like Bowser kidnapped her because he was in love with Peach. I remember there being a level where all the skulls in a dangerous looking area seemed almost like a heart shape.

[lissa_quon]

See as a small child thats what I assumed too. There seemed to be no other logical reason for it.

He wastes all these resources to guard her and keep her from everyone. So he doesn't want her dead. He doesn't seem to really want to take over or invade the Mushroom Kingom. Why else would he if he didn't love her?

[nezchan]

Having recently seen Megamind, I suppose you could take it as evidence for a similar yin/yan between Bowser and Mario, Peach's role being bait.

Neither scenario gives her much agency, eh?

[sea_dreamer]

Heh, one of my earlier fics involved Mario being Peach's crazy stalker and the whole Bowser-kidnapping-Peach thing actually being Mario's delusions.

[omnipotent]

Your comment made me think of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TdczoetXk4

[mandolin]

That is awesome. *bookmarks*

[caeliluminar]

That's basically the story of Braid.

[cypherfdp]

Bowser in love with Peach is canon at the least, but the implication that the Princess is baking cakes for anyone but her Jumpman?

BLASPHEMOUS.

[jeyl]

Back in my college days, I was super excited when I heard that Princess Peach was going to get her own game on the DS called "Super Princess Peach". And boy, was it my favorite game on the DS. I'm not even kidding. Look at the game play and animation that's going on. I would play this game over the new super mario brothers any day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoeUm89gQEU

There's something about colorfully animated sprites that is a lot more appealing than a 3D side scrolling mario in the new Super Mario Bros. game. Once I finished the game, I had only two issues.

1. It wasn't her story. It was her umbrella's story. Every time a chapter was completed, Peach and her umbrella would be at a camp site and every single thing would revolve around his history. Peach literally does nothing during the cutscenes. You're even given the impression that she doesn't even listen to him when he does start talking. Cripes, you could argue that her umbrella has more of a back story than Mario himself!

2. BOWSER TRIES TO DEFEAT PEACH! I was appalled at this. There is just no way shape or form that Bowser would willingly attempt to harm Peach like he does in the final confrontation. What the heck is Bowser going to do after he kills Peach? This was WAY out of character for him, and for being the end game boss, it left what was a great solid game with a big letter grade down.

I mean, just look at him when he's around her! He even tries to make her happy by turning himself into a teddy bear for cripe's sake!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAvrPZRuKrU&feature=related

[icon_uk]

As noted in one of the comments on that DS ad link... What on earth does she ever need Mario for? She can kick ass and fry bad guys all by herself!

[janegray]

I mean, just look at him when he's around her! He even tries to make her happy by turning himself into a teddy bear for cripe's sake!

The video is cute, but the Peach-bashing comments are infuriating.

Yes, Peach is totally a bitch because she attempted to trick a huge strong guy who kidnapped her so she could escape. How dare she not cherish the guy who is going to kill her friends and force her to marry him!

[mullon]

If there was any story that didn't need that much thought put into it, it's the Mario Brothers story.

[grazzt]

That's why it's so fun to put that much thought into it.

[jeyl]

I disagree. The first Super Mario Galaxy had a pretty good story that had plenty creative thought put behind. There was more going on than just rescuing the Princess in that one.

[fifthie]

"Peach loves Bowser" contradicts the Nintendo Power mario comics, ALSO, the Super Mario Brothers Super Show

THEREFORE it can go get fucked

[nemryn]

Ah, but 'Peach secretly loves Bowser' doesn't contradict anything!

[jeyl]

Uhh.. you having a bad day? I'm not comfortable discussing the topic if your going to bring prejudice into the picture.

Here's my position on the whole Princess Peach kidnap scenario. It's more about being tired of the same old story told again and again. I liked "Super Princess Peach" because it did give our common damsel something to do besides be kidnapped, but so far that has been a one-shot game. We're still stuck with Princess Peach being the damsel storyline that the heads of Nintendo have little to no desire to try a different direction. Even Miyamoto stated that he deliberately downplayed the storyline to Super Mario Galaxy 2.

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/06/super-mario-galaxy-2/

And I thought the first Galaxy game was fantastic! It went in all the right directions that Other M flat out failed to take.

[mistervader]

Stockholm Syndrome squicks me.

Just sayin'.