Despite my strong opinions about this game, I’ve never left a review on a card before, but something something egregious. Here goes:
For new players, the figure on the right of this card is intended to be Sunny Lebeau. I learned how to run on Sunny. The first tournament I ever won was on Find the Truth Sunny. Yes, I liked the mini factions, but I especially liked Sunny. It was the pandemic, and I had started doing volunteer work I absolutely loved, was good at, and had a very positive direct effect on the people I worked with. It also was a job that I considered antithetical to my greater political beliefs. I was 22 and I ADORED Sunny. While the system she works for is problematic to say the least, I liked seeing a character who existed within that system, found what she loves (her wife, her children, her skills), and took joy and pride from them. When I read the flavortext on Global Food Initiative, I don’t sense a hint of irony. I sense a person trying to square the person she is with the system she (and we) exist in.
That is not who I see on Manuel Lattes de Moura. On the card I see a helicopter parent trying to boost their daughter’s (college!) grades. The exact type of parent I would hope so many of us are terrified of one day becoming. What makes this character assassination hurt so much is rather than target the her complicated line of work, it targets the passion and love for her children that drove me (and so many others) to her in the first place. I didn’t care whether Sunny was a cop, a corpie, a runner, or a hero. I cared that she tried her hardest to be a good mom in a bad world. And this is her cameo. And it’s sad, because this turns me off not just this card but the entire motif of this set bringing the mini factions back, as it makes it seem like the characters in the netrunner universe are treated as cheap jokes.
But regardless, I don’t want this page to be a wall of complaining about how Sunny is treated here. I know a not insignificant number of runners cared a lot about Sunny too. If folks wanna comment on what OG Sunny meant to you I’d love to hear it.
I'm slightly surprised that the Threat ability doesn't use sabotage as a keyword, but it looks very fun especially in Seb. I hope we get to see more TagMe IDs in future with all the support in RWR!
— Fanged_CutieI am happy that the bribe turned out to be a misunderstanding. (I think it was the explicit reference to her daughter's marks that did it.) Honestly though, considering the flavour text of Globalsec Security Clearance, I doubt she wouldn't cheat the system to help her children. But maybe more to give them the opportunity (like in admissions or something), not to just to make them look better.
— Cluedrew@DeeR, I love what you say about Sunny here! This is exactly what makes her a compelling character for me, too.
— Chaostheorie7Until I read this thread I thought that that was actually Akiko Nisei
— Chicken Slayer@Chicken_Slayer both have pink hair!
— D4v1d-Gr43b3r
I must confess I've been really quite surprised by the response to this flavour text from fans of Sunny. Prior to printing, I'd had loads of folks, including several who like the character, look over all the flavour text and not once did I have anyone mention reading this like a bribe. Which it isn't, to be clear, it's just Sunny being, at worst, taking the opportunity to be a little nosy about her daughter's university grades while she's delivering something.
— Anzekay