Goku from DBZ and Yusuke from Yu Yu Hakusho
This probably pertains more to anime and manga, but tournaments and festivals are nearly impossible to avoid. Just finished watching Shakugana No Shana Season 2 and a few episodes went to a festival. There was also one in Rosario Vampire, Negima, and a few others. Tournaments are a lot more common though like Dragonball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, Shaman King, Negima, Fairy Tail, and Flame of Recca. I guess these allow two things depending on the path:
- Festivals allow for character interactions within dramas as well as tension in regards to setting things up. It’s typically in a school setting too. Once the event happens, you get various antics and payoffs on the relationships you had been pushing. Festivals are where people confess their feelings or apologize for past slights. It’s definitely a setting built for character development and expression.
- Tournaments can have this too, but it’s mostly about fighting. You get to see how strong characters have become over the course of a series. Its an excuse to have grand battles that connect to the plot. It’s also possible to introduce a ton of new characters with rival fighters. Utilizing banter and flashbacks, you can really draw a newcomers personality out while the fighting happens. Works best for action-based series though where you learn to judge characters by how they operate in a fight (cheaters or fair play) and how they handle the results.
Beyond all of that, I wasn’t sure what else to say. I felt like opening up the floor with an old type of post by asking 3 questions:
- What do you think of Festivals as a setting?
- What do you think of Tournaments as a setting?
- Which one would you use in a story and why?
Legends of Windemere 
I’ve never thought of it before to be honest. The closest I have is a storyboard involving a police chase through a holographic parade. I hope to write it this year. I’d probably be more inclined to use a festival than a tournament. Maybe my idea of tournaments is more Arthurian than Kung Fu oriented.
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Medieval stories seem to use the tournament a lot too. Robin Hood and his archery tournament, Arthur stories tend to have a jousting tournament, etc. The story I started writing this week revolves around a tournament/challenge type setting, but I’m trying to make it more with one person having to face multiple challenges as they progress instead of many combatants in tiers.
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I wrote about a pseudo World Series once.
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I remember that one. 😀
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Kind of a tournament.
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I think fairs and festivals add local color to any scene. Seems to be a great way to pull in cultural aspects of the location. The Chicago food show is a great summertime event and perfect for a thriller writer to cause mayhem or to have the antagonist avoid capture. Good post, Charles.
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Real world stories probably work better with fairs and festivals. We do have a lot of tournaments though like Olympics and playoffs. It probably feeds the competitive narrative when you need it, but festivals definitely carry a bigger cultural aspect. How much combat happens at the Chicago Food Show?
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Just an example. I was thinking of having a chase scene roar through there.
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Chase scenes area always fun. 😀
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They are.
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1. What do you think of Festivals as a setting?
I love festivals. As you mentioned, they give the characters a chance to interact with others. Festivals also represent a broader world, since people from other areas come to attend them.
2. What do you think of Tournaments as a setting?
A tournament is a good way of showing fighting styles and other things that characters value. Again, a good way of bringing tension into a story.
3. Which one would you use in a story and why?
I usually include a festival of some kind in a story. I love making up festivals, because I use them to reinforce a theme. For example, my character attends a festival in which the females are expected to choose their dance partners. It fits the theme of choice in the novel.
I’m working on a book in which some kids attend a videogame tournament.
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A video game tournament is a curious setting. It does have a tournament, but it doesn’t have the same type of excitement as a more physical competition. You also have the surrounding booths and experiences that makes it come off as more of a festival.
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Yes. It isn’t as exciting. But it’s fun.
I love tournaments. Whenever we go to the Renaissance Festival, we head straight for the jousting tournament. Love it!
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I’ve only seen a joust once when I was a kid. Barely remember it too, so I’d like to see one again.
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I’ve never given much thought to tournaments in books, but you make a great case for them, I can now easily see where they would come in handy, for the reasons you mentioned, but also because it would be a great place to hear rumors.
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I’m reading a manga now that just added a tournament. Doesn’t seem to fit and they’re practically racing through it. So, I guess it could work for setting more than event in some cases.
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Festivals are the best! Everyone loves a party, and they come prepared to have a good time. Their defenses will be down. This allows for interactions that wouldn’t take place in action sequences, for example.
Tournaments might work better as a structure for an episodic series than for character development. Although, I do like your point about showing how a character may have grown over the course of a book.
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Good point on festivals. Tournaments are a bit harder to pull character development from unless it’s a key plot point for some. Like facing a rival or finding a killer hiding among the contestants.
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I have an assassination attempt go down during a festival, but never thought of doing a tournament scene. Thanks for the idea!
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You’re welcome. Assassins certainly love festivals. It’s a great combination of work and play. Take out a target, buy a Sedan-sized turkey leg, ride the Ferris wheel, take out another target, enjoy a churro, etc.
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Hours of the fun for the whole family!
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The family that kills together, eats cotton candy together.
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Ah, that’s my favorite saying.
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