[Rodney]

Well, although there's the "Semi-Interesting Race" thread, I thought I'd submit a race of FF characters -- The Amazing Final Fantasy Race! There are eleven teams that, like the first season (which will be referred to quite often and can be found here), each contain two characters from various Final Fantasy titles. This season contains a crop of smart, talented characters, many of them well-traveled. Here’s an overview of our eleven teams:

Cid & Edea (Married 20 Years): Cid & Edea are the requisite old couple, a staple that has been featured on many seasons of the real show. Fans of the series remember that Cid & Edea, who hail from Final Fantasy 8, initially ran an orphanage before establishing the various Gardens that train SeeDs to oppose the power of the sorceresses in their world. Cid is the headmaster of Balamb Garden, while Edea is a former sorceress herself, separated from Cid for years while she was controlled by the evil Sorceress Ultimecia, until a group of SeeDs led by Squall Leonhart set her free in a tough battle. The two have been all around their world together and hope to have an adventure with one another that they haven’t had since the years they spent apart. Writer's prediction: Personally, knowing how far in the race older couples get on the real show, which is typically not all that far at all (except for three cases — Teri & Ian from the third season, Meredith & Gretchen from the seventh season, and Fran & Barry from the ninth season), I don’t think they’ll last long. In fact, I think they’ll be one of the first three teams out.

Cyan & Gau (Allies): Cyan & Gau met in Final Fantasy 6 soon after the people of Doma, Cyan’s kingdom, were fatally poisoned by the evil Kefka, and as well as allies, they became fast friends in their battle against the evil Empire. Cyan is a powerful knight and a widower (his wife and son were among the victims of Doma’s poisoning), and Gau grew up in the wild, living on the Veldt of the World of Balance, away from human contact. While Cyan has traveled to many places, Gau has almost never left the Veldt since his insane father abandoned him there as a baby, thinking he was a monster. Writer's prediction: I don’t know about these two. Gau was one of my favorites in Final Fantasy 6, but as a racing partner, and as the youngest racer this season (he’s only fourteen years old), I am not sure how well he’ll do with heavy hitter Cyan leading their team. Unless they can work really well together, I’ll bet they fall out in the middle of the race somewhere.

Freya & Fratley (Dating): Fans of the series will recognize the first of our two nonhuman teams as the kick-ass Dragon Knights of Final Fantasy 9. Freya & Fratley met while serving as Dragon Knights in their home kingdom, Burmecia, and eventually started dating. Fratley lost all of his memories, including those of Freya, when he left the kingdom to travel the world of Gaia and got into a horrible (but unexplained) accident. Freya is still a Dragon Knight working on the restoration of Burmecia. Fratley is working on recovering his memories and reconnecting with lost love Freya, and they thought the race was a good place to start. Writer's prediction: Okay, as a Freya fan, I have a really good feeling about this team. I think they’re both quite agile and thus physically capable enough to be considered as one of our alpha-couples, and those teams typically go really far on the real show. In fact, I see them possibly making the final three!

Godo & Yuffie (Father/Daughter): Oh, hell, yeah! This is a father/daughter team hailing from what is considered by many fans to be the best game of the series — Final Fantasy 7. Godo & Yuffie hail from the town of Wutai, a city attacked by the evil Shinra, Inc., and turned into what Yuffie called “a cheesy resort town peddling to tourists.” Godo leads the warriors of the Wutai Pagoda in challenging up-and-coming ninjas, while Yuffie works as a Materia Hunter, seeking valuable Materia to sell for cash for the good of Wutai. Despite how they tend to act, both are very cultured and have done much traveling. Writer's prediction: Parent/child teams usually don’t go far on the real show (although Nancy & Emily and Gus & Hera have been exceptions on the first and sixth seasons, respectively), so I don’t see this team winning the race. Godo’s a real powerhouse and Yuffie’s really good on her feet and keeping her wits about her, but they clash a lot, and for that, I see them as a team being eliminated about midway through the race, no questions asked. This is how I see it happening, at least. But as a long-time Yuffie fan, I’m going to hope against hope that this team actually ends up going very far!

Irvine & Selphie (Dating): Our other team from Final Fantasy 8, Irvine & Selphie started out as friends in their original game, but soon after the defeat of the evil Sorceress Ultimecia, they began dating. Irvine is a trained sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden who easily folds under pressure. Selphie transferred from Trabia Garden to Balamb Garden to take her SeeD exam, becoming a SeeD immediately upon passing it. She is said to be perky, high-spirited, and always positive. As Garden students, both have traveled around the world before, and are ready to travel around several new worlds. Writer's prediction: This is another team I see becoming a potential alpha-couple. But I don’t think they’ll reach the final three because of Irvine easily caving to pressure. They’ll be one of the teams eliminated on a late leg of the race, at the very least.

Locke & Celes (Friends): Locke & Celes are really close friends who met in Final Fantasy 6 during their struggle against the Empire. Locke freed Celes from some soldiers and she joined up with his resistance, the Returners, as a result. Locke admits he’s impulsive, very adventurous, and he’s always sure of what he is doing, whereas Celes admits to being bold when necessary, but also knowing when to rein in her temper. The two friends are on the race to see if the friendship and attraction they feel toward one another could possibly develop into more. Both are very well-traveled. Writer's prediction: Okay, I can definitely pick this team as one that’ll get to the final three. Another alpha-couple right here that, barring any major missteps, will get to the end of the race.

Lucil & Elma (Comrades-in-Arms): Let me just tell you right now that this team is going to win, okay? This team is going to win. Lucil & Elma are best known as the Chocobo Knights from Final Fantasy 10. They are from the world of Spira and are out to see what other worlds there are beyond theirs. Lucil is the captain of her unit of the Chocobo Knights, and Elma is one of her most powerful followers. The two have actually fought in a head-on battle with the deadly force known as Sin, so they think they’ll be ready for pretty much anything the race throws at them. I agree. Writer's prediction: These two are really strong women in battle and could be a strong team running the race, as well. I think they’ll be extremely kick-ass at the race and go very far — far enough to win the race! Look out, people, because they’re the team to watch this season!

Quale & Quina (Master/Student): Whoooooooo! This is our other Final Fantasy 9 team and our other nonhuman team. Quale & Quina are two Qu hailing from the Qu’s Marsh on the Mist Continent in the world of Gaia. Quale is the master of the Qu Clan and says he is very strict, critical, and has very high standards of what’s done right and wrong. Fans who watched the first season (see provided link) will remember that he oversaw one of the Detours on the penultimate leg. The cameras loved him and his presence so much, the producers apparently offered him a spot on the following season with a teammate of his choosing, and he chose his student, Quina. Quina is a chef who often leads the chefs of Alexandria in cooking big feasts, and he admits to being someone who just does whatever it is he feels like doing. Hence, his catchphrase: “I do what I want! You got problem?” (Uh-oh. That’s not a good sign.) Now that Quina has traveled around their world (with Zidane Tribal and the rest of the party from his game), Quale is hoping his student learns more about other worlds now. Writer's prediction: I have no major opinion about Quale, but I love Quina and think he’s actually one of the most awesome, intriguing characters of his original game. He is also my most favorite character of that game. But based on all the times he acted kind of dimwitted, especially where food, or things he thought were food, were concerned, I see these two being one of the first three teams eliminated — and, quite possibly, Quina being the cause of it.

Reina & Faris (Sisters): Wow, it has been a long, long time since I last saw these two characters. Reina & Faris are sisters hailing from Tycoon and the first team ever to represent Final Fantasy 5. Of course, they are also the only team representing that game this season. Reina is an adventurous, quick-thinking princess who is always ready to fight for what’s right. Faris is a pirate captain who always thinks on her feet and is a well-respected leader of her band of pirates. Both sisters admit to being fully aware, energetic, and prepared to adapt to any situation. Writer's prediction: Unlike our other women’s team this season, Lucil & Elma, I don’t get a good feeling about this team’s survival in the race. I guess it’s partly because their original game is the only one I’ve started but haven’t finished yet, even though I know their characters quite well. I certainly think they’ll get through the first three eliminations, but I see them being the first or second of the last five teams eliminated.

Tseng & Elena (Coworkers): Tseng & Elena are our other team from Final Fantasy 7. They are the second team of coworkers to run the race (Amarant & Lani from the first season — again, see link — were the first) and come from Midgar. Tseng is the leader of the Turks, a branch of Shinra, Inc. Elena is the newest member of the Turks and works with the Shinra troops. Tseng admits to being a strong, aggressive leader who knows how to react in any situation. He’s running the race to make more money for the Shinra Corporation. Elena admits several things can get her on edge or even make her angry. She hates the possibility of disappointing Tseng in any way. She admits to having a crush on him and hopes the race will bring any potential romantic feelings Tseng may have toward her to fruition. Given the fact that he really didn’t feel that way about her in their original game, I think that’s unlikely. Writer's prediction: I think this team will be strong and get a good ways into the race. I don’t think they’ll make the final three, but I do think they’ll get pretty close to it, only to fall short of it.

Wakka & Lulu (Married Parents): Wakka & Lulu are married parents from the island of Besaid, and they are our other Final Fantasy 10 team. Wakka is a blitzball player and a former guardian (like Auron & Jecht from the first season — once more, see link — were) to High Summoner Yuna. Lulu is a black mage, another of Yuna’s former guardians, and a mother to her and Wakka’s infant son, Vidina. Wakka is stubborn and hardheaded, while Lulu has a very short fuse and gets very frustrated and impatient with Wakka at times. The couple has traveled all over Spira, their world, and they are racing for the money to provide for their son. Writer's prediction: I certainly think Wakka has alpha-male qualities in him. He’s an athlete, after all, which makes him physically capable. But Lulu isn’t quite as physically strong, which worries me about this team. I can see Lulu hindering them enough to make them one of the first three teams eliminated.

My Sentimental Favorites so far are Cid & Edea, Godo & Yuffie, Lucil & Elma, and Quale & Quina. (Keep in mind, though, that I reserve the right to change my loyalties.) I think the first three teams out will be Cid & Edea, Wakka & Lulu, and, sadly, Quale & Quina. The final three teams will be Freya & Fratley, Locke & Celes, and Lucil & Elma, with Lucil & Elma walking away the winners. (But keep in mind, my "predictions," as the writer, may or may not turn out to be reality.)

So, that's that. Pretty soon, I'll put up the first episode. Till then, who are y'all rooting for, if anyone? Discuss away.