Okay, Troper, Explain Yourself

[redbrunja]

So, I'm surfing tvtropes.org, as one does whenever one shouldn't, and I'm reading about macguffins, since mzminola and I were talking about how Mytho is one. (Actually, a lot of main character function as a macguffin for me on a subjective level, where I'm watching a show from the secondary characters and the lead is simply how all the secondary characters end up interacting. See Avatar, Naruto, Bleach.)

So I get to Chekhov's Gun, which lists Tsunade's necklace as an example.

....HOW?

The history behind her necklace is told right up front and it's (iirc) never used for plot purposes later on. I can see it as an example of a Memento Mac Guffin, but a Chekhov's Gun? Not so much.

Comments

[ryanitenebrae.livejournal.com]

Mytho starts as a McGuffin, but then becomes an awesome character in his own right, as you get to see him built up bit by bit by bit, which you pretty much never get to see anywhere else.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

That's very arguable. Personally, I never found him that interesting, even at the end, which is why I put 'subjective macguffin'. Naruto is the same way. Perfectly decent character (training sequences aside) who does nothing for me on an emotional level.

[queroli.livejournal.com]

Tsunade's necklace is later found out to be a necessity for Yamato to subdue the Kyuubi.
Not that big but oh well.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Ooops. I totally forgot about that. Largely because I was paying NO ATTENTION during that training arc.

[strange_quark]

Unless they mean helping to control Naruto, no, it's not a Chekhov's gun. Actually, none of the Naruto ones make a lick of sense.

If you're looking for Chekhov's gun, Harry Potter has more than you can sneeze at.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think that's what they meant, but I was like bwhat? Partially cause I'd forgottn about that little trick.

And yeah, HP is littered with things that should have happened but didn't, or ideas that never quite got their due.