I think this is the only true comedy in my list. Sunshine in Winter is close, but that is more of a tragic romance. This is more like a Shakespearean comedy of errors. Plus it’s Christmas-themed to boot.
It puts our favorite FF8 characters through all the great holiday stories. Squall becomes Mr. Scrooge. Zell is in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Seifer plays “Phantom of the Opera” (okay, maybe they’re not all Christmas-themed). Quistis deals with her relationship with a boring man and the mystery of Seifer. And Christmas carols proliferate throughout. It’s a feel-good story — a rare gem in a medium filled with angst and drama.
These may seem cliche, but in fact, the story deals with them in a clever way. There’s a lot of story threads in this piece, and they’re all wonderful. I especially love the Maison Ikkoku tribute/theft. The writers actually tried to take it seriously, without taking it too seriously. This story inspired me to write “A Caleb Carol”.
The best thing is the humor. I think it’s a great read around Christmas, and fills the heart with love. I wish I knew who the “selfappointed stabmeisters” were — they seem to be a collective, but there are no tracebacks to any of them. I bet there were some good writers in there.
Balamb Garden’s Yuletide Vacation
