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Monday, December 5, 2011

The Tale of Fuuga and Mirai's Taiko Classroom


The story mode in Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Ketteiban resembles what is seen in the first two Wii Taiko games, in that the progression of the story is non-interactive and scenes are unlocked just based on how much time the player spends in regular Play mode. This article is a simple digest of everything that goes on in the scenes of the Play mode.

Spoiler alert, read at your own risk!

There are actually two arcs of the story, one takes place in the past (Play mode) and one in the present (Taiko Classroom). In the Play mode, one chapter is unlocked for every 10 songs you play from 50 onwards all the way up to 150, and then two more at 170 and 190 before concluding and moving over to the arc in the Classroom mode, which is more tutorial based. The story takes place through character icons and dialogue boxes, unlike the full models and backgrounds seen in Wii1 and 2. There are occasional pictures however.

Fuuga and Mirai's story is basically a series of events that lead up to the establishment of their Taiko classroom, the Taiko Dojo replacement in the game.

 lol Namco forgot to remove the disclaimer even during the credits


Starting from the first chapter, Don-chan is zapped by a bolt of lightning that came out of nowhere and is transported to the Taiko World (太鼓界) again, like at the ending in Wii1. Here he reunites with Kodama (leftmost in top picture) and is introduced to Fuuga and Mirai, the wind and lightning gods of that world. Fuuga (2nd from right) is Mirai's (rightmost) older brother. The both of them are holding a Taiko performance in a week's time to succeed their parents, and the two Taiko brothers Don and Kat are their honorary guests to the show (in other words, VIPs), although Kat-chan does not show up until the staff credits.While looking at the instruments to be used in the show Mirai zaps Don-chan mistaking him for an intruder, and that's where they're introduced to each other by Kodama.


Fuuga and Mirai are seen quarreling a bit later, arguing about their practice styles. Mirai prefers to use strength and stamina to play the taiko, while Fuuga refuses to do anything and contemplates each hit in his mind (typical brawn vs brains scenario). Kodama tries to calm them down to no avail. Furious, Mirai storms out of their hall after calling Fuuga stupid.


While outside, Mirai sees a purple-haired boy who was playing on a taiko of his own, and proudly declared to himself that he just full-comboed Saitama 2000 (he didn't say which difficulty level though, for all we know it could just be Kantan....lol). Mirai confronts him with her lightning attack after receiving taunts from him, but it didn't seem to leave a scratch. Secretly Mirai thinks this purple-haired boy looks cool. The boy invites Mirai to practice playing the taiko with him, and introduces himself as Arashi, whose element is mainly fire. Mirai takes up his challenge.


....and fails, bad. Mirai comes to learn that Arashi was, despite his cocky attitude, a real expert at the taiko. Mirai breaks down, crying in self-pity, and Arashi grudgingly agrees to train Mirai for a day, fed-up of her immaturity.

Arashi tells her that randomly hitting the taiko with brute strength was of no use, and only leads to her getting tired at the end without accomplishing anything at all (true in the real arcade Taiko as well). Arashi teaches her to use both hands and coordinate their movements when playing, and to plan ahead the hits she would have to do in her mind. Mirai silently comments that Arashi sounded like her brother nagging. But after an hour it seemed like the training worked out after all. It had to be strength and skill together, not either one exclusively. When asked if he would come back for another training session the next day, Arashi was quick to decline, and ran away from Mirai.

 Image


With this new revelation Mirai went home to lash out at Fuuga (again) about him being wrong about just using his brains to practice, but then realizes she was part of the wrong herself as before she was only going to use her energy without any skill. Both apologize to each other and all was fine and well again. Kodama invites them and Don-chan to a meal she prepared herself, but Don-chan being the glutton he is finishes everything before Fuuga could even touch the table.


The chapter following this is filler, but after that...

Don-chan and Kodama quickly tells Mirai that the storage room where they keep their important instruments for the Taiko performance is on fire and they quickly investigate. Fuuga was nowhere to be seen. At the room, the fire had been put out but it was charred all over. Mirai calls out to Fuuga and finds his glasses lying on the floor. Arashi then shows up and brazenly says he had been playing with the instruments, setting them on fire in the process. Mirai was angry at him, but by then she had developed some feelings for Arashi, and asks him to come for their Taiko performance, which was tomorrow. Arashi declines again and runs off, while Mirai calls him stupid from afar.


Finally the day came, and both Fuuga and Mirai were well-prepared for the show. After Don-chan finished his part, it was their turn. Backstage, Mirai was getting nervous, and Fuuga reassured her that they would do it together and it would be completely fine, and they would do their parents proud. Secretly Mirai yearns for Arashi to be at the show but he hasn't turned up yet. Shrugging it off, the two siblings proceed to the stage and begin their performance.

The staff credits play out to the tune of Momoiro Taiko Paradise, Wii4's theme song. Both the song and this scene are unlocked at 150 plays, where the story ends proper!

After Fuuga and Mirai finish and receive a great applause, they looked at each other and smiled. Right at this moment Mirai noticed a huge similarity between her brother's face and Arashi's. Hilarity ensues as they chase each other backstage and it ends with both Fuuga and Don-chan being zapped with lightning.

Post-credits, Mirai demands to know what really happened, as it seemed Kodama and Don-chan already knew beforehand that Fuuga was Arashi. They explained.
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After Mirai ran out of the hall a week ago, both of them were playing around with Fuuga's glasses. Fuuga said that his parents told him never to take them off, but they (Don-chan and Kodama) do it anyway, and right there Fuuga transforms into Arashi. It looks like the only thing separating the two forms were that pair of glasses. Arashi runs out, and that's where Mirai meets him playing Saitama 2000. Don-chan and Kodama give chase, with Don wearing the glasses.

After Arashi runs away from Mirai, Kodama kicks Don-chan into Arashi, tripping him over. Don-chan quickly puts the glasses back onto Arashi and he transforms back and falls asleep. They carry him back and prepare a great meal to celebrate their success at catching Arashi.
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Mirai was angry with everyone for not telling her (and apparently Fuuga remains clueless about his other, more violent form), but Fuuga did tell her how they've both improved their taiko skills, and decides to put them to good use by teaching others the way of the Taiko. The two of them open their very own Taiko Classroom, with Kodama and Don-chan being their first students. The end!


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