User blog comment:BannedLagiacrus/Monster Appreciation Week: Mizutsune/@comment-5020152-20161118154937

MIZUTSUNE (aka THE BUBBLER)

Other Fun Nicknames: Soap Dragon, Mr. Clean, Volpina

 Concept : One of the four flagship beasts of MH Generations, Mizutsune is meant to represent the 3rd Generation of Monster Hunter. She’s a leviathan that spends her time in the lush Misty Peaks, and has a slew of special characteristics that makes her stand out amongst the many wonderful creatures in the Peaks. She’s also the most calm and graceful of the Elite Four, staying away from confrontations whenever possible. An ‘A+’ for you, Capcom! 9/10

 Design : All of the Elite Four have their own great designs, but I can’t help but just fall in love with Mizutsune’s. Have you ever seen a more beautiful monster? She combines aspects of a koi, fox, and serpent and rolls them all into one flawless work of art. The fins around her head and on her back are like delicate pink flower petals – and when she gets enraged, these petals dramatically turn a bright scarlet. Her elegant body is covered in shimmering pink-and-yellow fish scales, while her tail is covered with flowing purple fur. Even though she’s a leviathan, Mizutsune can maneuver on land with graceful ease thanks to the soapy bubbles she produces with every move. Everything about Mizutsune just screams elegance and beauty. This monster was designed to be beauty incarnate, and holy crap does she do a good job of portraying it. 10/10

 Sound : The Bubbler emits various high-pitched squeals and chirps, in particular a cute yelp when she staggers. Her roar, though, is kind of strange. As far as music goes, all of the Elite Four have equally amazing themes, but to be truthfully honest, Mizutsune’s music really stands out to me. It’s an upbeat soundtrack with an overwhelming Japanese feel to it, and somehow manages to fit the high-energy back-and-forth chase of battling Mizutsune, while at the same time fitting her graceful and elegant nature absolutely perfectly. When combined with her design and gameplay, the music makes Mizutsune feel more like a water spirit than a monster. It really has to be heard, not described, to really understand. If I could, I wouldn’t hesitate to give that music an 11 out of 10. 10/10

 Gameplay : The cleanliest monster in the whole series (Barroth comes close in second because he bathes regularly), the Bubbler is a leviathan that fights primarily by using a natural cleaning agent – soap. This allows Mizutsune to slip and slide over solid earth as if she was swimming, making her extremely agile and evasive. She can also produce soap bubbles by exhaling them or swinging her tail, which are often large enough to trap hunters. When enraged, Mizutsune’s petals flush bright red, and she becomes able to perform impressive, dance-like combos. Occasionally, her bubbles will turn red or green, which will actually grant attack and health buffs to hunters that pop them. The overall battle is one that keeps you on your toes because of how easily she is able to maneuver, much like, say, Nargacuga or Seregios. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell the difference between the Bubbler’s various tail attacks, her slipping and sliding allows them to cover a surprising range, and they hit like a truck. The battle is more frustrating than fun at some points. 7/10

 New Stuff : Mizutsune’s various soap-based attacks cause… you guessed it, Bubbles. A very fascinating new status ailment, it only takes effect if you’re hit more than once with a bubble. The second hit will cause bubbles to attach to you, making you run and slip around like an idiot until the Bubbler pops you free. And she usually does it by smashing your face in. 8/10

 Equipment : Mizutsune weapons use the Water element. The armor set introduces a fascinating skill that causes bubbles to coat the hunter’s body after they perform an evasive maneuver a certain number of times, increasing the amount of invincibility frames you get while dodging and decreasing the amount of stamina you consume when dodging. The equipment in general is various shades and combinations of pink and white, and are also designed to have a sleek and elegant look – although no human will ever look as beautiful as this leviathan. 8/10

 Personality : Monster Hunter Generations does a phenomenal job of characterizing its four flagship monsters. Mizutsune is shown to be a calm and collected leviathan that spends a lot of her time relaxing. In a game that revolves around killing giant monsters, Mizutsune comes across as the most peaceful of the lot. In the game’s intro, she’s shown fighting a Zinogre, but spends more time avoiding its attacks than actually fighting back. In her ecology cinematic, she’s woken up from her nap by a band of Felynes, and she scares them off before curling up to resume her rest. With this in mind, my interpretation of Mizutsune is an elegant spirit of the water who would rather spend her time sleeping than fighting over territory. If the monsters of Monster Hunter had some kind of community structure, Mizutsune would be the peacemaker, or the mystic that others would go to for help or advice. 10/10

 Summary : As per the trend in regards to Elite Four members, the Bubbler is just amazing. Her design, music, gear, and personality all come together to create a theme of elegance and beauty. However, getting thrown around like a rag doll by her attacks is not something I enjoy. Gameplay notwithstanding, it was hard to choose my favorite of the Elite Four, but although she didn’t make first place, Mizutsune comes damn close in second. Overall 8.5/10