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silverthunder) wrote2006-12-22 08:55 am
silverthunder) wrote2006-12-22 08:55 am
Anime Females
Okay, it was a conversation with V that spawned this... We were talking about female characters we relate to or admire. I started thinking about which females in anime that I actually like, and why. So I decided to post something about it. I picked out five female characters (not necessarily the top five, just five I like for different reasons) and summarized why I like them.
Luna (Uninhabited Planet Survive)
I can't really say why Luna became my favorite girl in this series. She's the main character, of course, but at first I didn't see much out of the ordinary in her - at least, as far as the 'plucky heroine' thing goes. She is courageous and strong-willed, sticks up for her beliefs, cares about her friends to the point of putting her life on the line for them, and proves herself a capable leader. It seems like she always knows the right thing to say to make things better for everyone around her. I'd say she was on the verge of TOO perfect, but as you go through the series, you can see that she's not. She is constantly making mistakes. The nice thing about Uninhabited Planet Survive is that if it had just been one of those seven teenagers abandoned, I can't see that person surviving for long. The fact is, they work as a team and the weaknesses of one person may be the strengths of the next. Luna is an only child who lost both parents, which gives her great skills in relying on herself. I believe a lot of her bravery and strength comes from her father's dying command for her to live, which she took greatly to heart. At the end of the series, though, she admits to being a coward. I think one of Luna's great insecurities is being alone - and she meets this head-on, as we see in episode 39. That's perhaps the thing I admire about Luna: she is stubborn - she won't give up. She prefers to attack problems rather than running from them. I wish I could be more like that myself.
Bisuke (Hunter X Hunter)
Oh geez, what can I say about Bisuke? She's a tough old bird. Her flaws are so obvious that you see them before her good points. She's vain, selfish, and a liar. She is sneaky and underhanded, with a violent temper. But honestly, I think she's cool. She's 57 years old, and a kickass fighter. Unlike a lot of other female characters, her skills aren't automatically trumped by the major male characters in the series. In fact, she's light years ahead of them. I also think the fact that she's muscled and huge in truth but holds the appearance of a young girl out of vanity is just terribly amusing. What a funny, strong, and interesting character.
Haruhi (Ouran Host School Host Club)
Given that I haven't watched the whole series yet, perhaps I shouldn't be saying anything here, but I want to anyway. There is something cool about a girl who can be surrounded by handsome and charming young men, yet not have a crush on any single one of them - and is not even phased by it all, except to make a comment here and there about how ridiculous they all are. I like her attitude too, that 'god, you people are crazy, wtf am I even doing with you?' It's great.
Tohru (Fruits Basket)
Honestly, I don't even know why I like her so much. She's sweet and kind and gentle, like thousands of other anime females. She's clumsy, average at schoolwork, tends towards a bit airheaded, and says sweet wonderful things that make people around her just melt. You'd think I'd be like 'meh'. Maybe it's the sincerity. Everything she does, she does with such wholehearted determination. Perhaps I like the fact that she always seems prepared to make the best of a bad situation, rather than sit there and cry and feel sorry for herself. And, seriously, this girl deserves to feel sorry for herself. Her mother dies and she has no place to stay and no one to go to, and she is building tents in the woods and trying to fend for herself (although you have to admit her efforts are kind of pathetic, but she really does the best she can) while remaining as cheerful and optimistic as she can about her life. Maybe it's even the pathetic-ness that makes her endearing - I just feel sorry for her because she tries so hard but sometimes things just don't work. In any case, I can't help but love this girl. Just like everyone else.
Ruki (Digimon Tamers)
I liked Ruki right from the start - not just because she was tough and professed to be strong, but because that kind of standoffish attitude tells you there's probably going to be a certain amount of depth to her character. I spent a good part of the series wondering what was going on with her family. It's obvious that her father is gone, and from the movie I'd say it's a good bet that he just up and left them. Every moment you see her with her mother is painfully awkward. It's obvious they love each other - they just can't even come close to *understanding* each other. Ruki's frustration with her mother's attempts to make her into the daughter she expects really strikes a chord with me. She's not the pretty feminine type, but her attempt to go the opposite way doesn't seem to satisfy her much either. I think she's still trying to figure out who she is, although her bond with Renamon is probably a point of relief for her and has helped a lot to define her thus far. I honestly wish I could see more of her story, because even by the end of the series, it's obvious she still has a long way to go.
BONUS: The Azumanga Daioh Cast
How can you not find something to like in a cast full of girls who go through their everyday life exhibiting all of their little quirks in a strange and interesting slice-of-life show that's really not about anything at all? Each of them is unique, and each is interesting in her own way. There are no boys messing up the action and the interaction between the girls, which is a welcome change of pace. It's all about girls being girls, and being friends with other girls - even when you don't like them all that much at the moment. Very much fun.
Luna (Uninhabited Planet Survive)
I can't really say why Luna became my favorite girl in this series. She's the main character, of course, but at first I didn't see much out of the ordinary in her - at least, as far as the 'plucky heroine' thing goes. She is courageous and strong-willed, sticks up for her beliefs, cares about her friends to the point of putting her life on the line for them, and proves herself a capable leader. It seems like she always knows the right thing to say to make things better for everyone around her. I'd say she was on the verge of TOO perfect, but as you go through the series, you can see that she's not. She is constantly making mistakes. The nice thing about Uninhabited Planet Survive is that if it had just been one of those seven teenagers abandoned, I can't see that person surviving for long. The fact is, they work as a team and the weaknesses of one person may be the strengths of the next. Luna is an only child who lost both parents, which gives her great skills in relying on herself. I believe a lot of her bravery and strength comes from her father's dying command for her to live, which she took greatly to heart. At the end of the series, though, she admits to being a coward. I think one of Luna's great insecurities is being alone - and she meets this head-on, as we see in episode 39. That's perhaps the thing I admire about Luna: she is stubborn - she won't give up. She prefers to attack problems rather than running from them. I wish I could be more like that myself.
Bisuke (Hunter X Hunter)
Oh geez, what can I say about Bisuke? She's a tough old bird. Her flaws are so obvious that you see them before her good points. She's vain, selfish, and a liar. She is sneaky and underhanded, with a violent temper. But honestly, I think she's cool. She's 57 years old, and a kickass fighter. Unlike a lot of other female characters, her skills aren't automatically trumped by the major male characters in the series. In fact, she's light years ahead of them. I also think the fact that she's muscled and huge in truth but holds the appearance of a young girl out of vanity is just terribly amusing. What a funny, strong, and interesting character.
Haruhi (Ouran Host School Host Club)
Given that I haven't watched the whole series yet, perhaps I shouldn't be saying anything here, but I want to anyway. There is something cool about a girl who can be surrounded by handsome and charming young men, yet not have a crush on any single one of them - and is not even phased by it all, except to make a comment here and there about how ridiculous they all are. I like her attitude too, that 'god, you people are crazy, wtf am I even doing with you?' It's great.
Tohru (Fruits Basket)
Honestly, I don't even know why I like her so much. She's sweet and kind and gentle, like thousands of other anime females. She's clumsy, average at schoolwork, tends towards a bit airheaded, and says sweet wonderful things that make people around her just melt. You'd think I'd be like 'meh'. Maybe it's the sincerity. Everything she does, she does with such wholehearted determination. Perhaps I like the fact that she always seems prepared to make the best of a bad situation, rather than sit there and cry and feel sorry for herself. And, seriously, this girl deserves to feel sorry for herself. Her mother dies and she has no place to stay and no one to go to, and she is building tents in the woods and trying to fend for herself (although you have to admit her efforts are kind of pathetic, but she really does the best she can) while remaining as cheerful and optimistic as she can about her life. Maybe it's even the pathetic-ness that makes her endearing - I just feel sorry for her because she tries so hard but sometimes things just don't work. In any case, I can't help but love this girl. Just like everyone else.
Ruki (Digimon Tamers)
I liked Ruki right from the start - not just because she was tough and professed to be strong, but because that kind of standoffish attitude tells you there's probably going to be a certain amount of depth to her character. I spent a good part of the series wondering what was going on with her family. It's obvious that her father is gone, and from the movie I'd say it's a good bet that he just up and left them. Every moment you see her with her mother is painfully awkward. It's obvious they love each other - they just can't even come close to *understanding* each other. Ruki's frustration with her mother's attempts to make her into the daughter she expects really strikes a chord with me. She's not the pretty feminine type, but her attempt to go the opposite way doesn't seem to satisfy her much either. I think she's still trying to figure out who she is, although her bond with Renamon is probably a point of relief for her and has helped a lot to define her thus far. I honestly wish I could see more of her story, because even by the end of the series, it's obvious she still has a long way to go.
BONUS: The Azumanga Daioh Cast
How can you not find something to like in a cast full of girls who go through their everyday life exhibiting all of their little quirks in a strange and interesting slice-of-life show that's really not about anything at all? Each of them is unique, and each is interesting in her own way. There are no boys messing up the action and the interaction between the girls, which is a welcome change of pace. It's all about girls being girls, and being friends with other girls - even when you don't like them all that much at the moment. Very much fun.
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AzuDai I loved for just being about a group of high school friends and the comic adventures they have. Teasing, misunderstanding, hilarious quirks, and the dynamic relationships they have, not always getting along, not always happy with each other, and yet the tone of it all stays pleasant.