Forum - View topicMost Improved Character Tournament: Post-Mortem
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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You're welcome
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rosebrook11
 Posts: 1181 |
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Group A-9
Fakir, Princess Tutu vs. Ayaka Steiger, Kurau Phantom Memory Ayaka seems to be a pretty cool character and I really look forward to watching Kurau Phantom Memory, but Fakir has one of my favorite anime transformations and that is the reason why is also one of my personal favorite characters. At the begining of the series Fakir had lost his way and he had completely forgot why he took in and helped Mythos in the first place, his protective attitude to his friend became warped over the years into an obsessive desire to control Mythos' life, believing his own input to be the best thing. His interactions with Duck enable him to look inside himself and confront the darkness of his past and of his role in the story with bravery. And that's only the first part of the series. Group A-10 Piccolo Jr.,, Dragonball franchise vs. Chi, Chobits Chi For me Vegeta's improvement always stuck out more than Piccolo's did. And Chi's growth as a character really meant a lot to me. I know other's think differently, but I believe that she really does grow quite a lot through the series in relation to her feelings for Hideki. Group A-11 Sawako Kuronuma, Kimi ni Todoke – From Me to You vs. Eureka, Eureka 7 Sawako. Her development throughout the series is one of the main reasons why that show always brings a smile to my face. I feel like I am watching one of my own friends grow and mature right before my eyes. It is no big feat to overcome shyness after so many years of feeling alone. The effort that she puts into forming new friendships and living her life really show her improvement. Group A-12 Gaara, Naruto franchise vs. Eva Heinemann, Monster Eva I haven't even finished Monster yet (Only seen about 20 ep) and she's already impressed me. Group A-13 Haruka Suzumiya, Rumbling Hearts vs. Yukino Miyazawa, His and Her Circumstances Yukino Group A-14 Taichi Mashima, Chihiyafuru vs. Hiei, Yu Yu Hakusho I supported Hiei last round, but I can't do the same this round. Hiei certainly does improve, but he has maintained some major shortcomings with his personality that have been evident from the Beast Kings arc. I love the character, but he remains aloof, mean-spirited and cocky until the end of the series. With those maintained character flaws there was no way I could vote him over Taichi whom I nominated because I appreciated both his overall improvement and how it was present in a subtle manner and progressed throughout the course of the first season (and also into the start of the second season to my delight.) His improvement manifests itself very gradually throughout the series and is implemented very realistically. Taichi's devotion to karuta accurately reflects the nature of his improvement. He's putting the effort into an activity that at the very start of the series he believed he could not excel at. Group A-15 Jean Valjean, Les Miserables Shoujo Cosette vs. Daikichi Kawachi, Bunny Drop I love Daikichi as a character and while I don't think he's the best competitor -since he starts out a pretty good person and then kind of becomes a better one while raising Rin- I do think his improvement is better than Jean Valjean in his series. Group A-16 Clare, Claymore vs. Satou Tatsuhiro, Welcome to the NHK Clare Her improvement seems kind of cool and while NHK is one of my favorite series I don't think Satou's improvement is best suited for this tournament since he spends most of the series getting worse and then only gets better near the end. Clare's improvement appears to be more gradual. Last edited by rosebrook11 on Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:04 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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rheiders
 Posts: 1137 Location: Colorful Colorado :) |
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Group A-9
Fakir, Princess Tutu Like many others, I consider Fakir to be one of the top contenders for the whole thing. Ayaka does seem like a decent contender (I thought about changing my vote last time, but by that point there wasn't really a point xD), but she doesn't stand a chance here. Fakir's change is monumental. He starts out as an Group A-10 Chi, Chobits I think Chi's coming to understand the complex concept of love, as well as developing some agency in trying to understand her own situation, is sweet enough to deserve my vote here. Group A-11 Sawako Kuronuma, Kimi ni Todoke – From Me to You I haven't seen Eureka 7, but the write-up still doesn't impress me that much. I adore Sawako and relate very strongly to her journey. Group A-12 Eva Heinemann, Monster This is the hardest match in the round for me. I think both are strong contenders, and both stories contribute strongly to overall themes in their respective shows. I'm going to go with Eva because the idea that every human being deserves a second chance is very dear to me, and if anyone truly embodies that message, it's Eva. Group A-13 Yukino Miyazawa, His and Her Circumstances Group A-14 Taichi Mashima, Chihiyafuru Group A-15 Daikichi Kawachi, Bunny Drop As a total Les Mis dork, I feel bad about voting against Valjean, but it sounds like the anime he is from focuses a lot more on Cosette. I'll go with Daikichi, because his is one of the more unique arcs represented in this tournament and because his journey to becoming a devoted parent really touched my heart. Group A-16 Clare, Claymore |
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Dorcas_Aurelia
 Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
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Busy day today, but I have the minigame results now for all to enjoy. Also, as a bonus, I've included my own choices and score for everyone's amusement (for prize purposes at the end of the game, my entry is considered as not existing).
Rosebrook extends the first place lead slightly. Meanwhile, One-Eye uses two perfect rounds in a row to vault into a 3-way tie for second with Key and Tris. Comparing predictions to results, D-1 and D-5 were spot on. D-6, on the other hand, was almost perfectly reversed from the expectation. Many people expected Mytho to win here, although this won't be a long-term setback for anyone, and a limited few even expected him to make it past Sailor Moon next round. Nanami in D-7 was expected to over Saji, perhaps owing to Utena's pedigree (I'm guilty of this one, but not of picking Mytho), although by a far smaller margin than Mytho's expected win. The remaining four matches were correct, if not particularly precise. Tsukimi in D-8 made a stronger than expected showing, as did Porco in D-3 (that was just a hair off an even split). D-2 and D-4 turned out more evenly split than predicted, although for opposite reasons (both weak in one, both strong in the other). If anyone has any trouble with the spreadsheet, send me a pm. |
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CrowLia
 Posts: 5505 Location: Mexico |
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I seriously can't believe I'm still around the middle-ish, I really thought Group D (3/8) would bring me close enough to compete for last place. Nanami's loss will affect me a lot in the future, I hadn't watched either show and, like Dorcas_Aurelia said, I bet on Utena's pedigree, which will ultimatley come back to bite me in the rear. Will vote later
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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I got 5/8, which is a bit more than I was initially expecting when Noriko took the early lead. I still haven't lost anyone major though so I'm still feeling pretty positive about this one. It's definitely my best mini-game showing for awhile.
To make another early prediction, I'm currently on track for a 6/8 for the current group, it shall be interesting to see if that changes. I'm a bit concerned about A-16 though (however I vote against my minigame pick so I can't complain too much  ).
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One-Eye
 Posts: 2261 |
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I'll try to write some things up in answer to Key's post when I get home from work tonight.
As far as the mini-game I'll try to enjoy my very brief surge in the rankings, because its not going to last.  Part of my strategy included popular shows, but also trying to anticipate what I thought might be some upsets and of course a few choices that were purely emotional ones on my part. It paid off in the C & D brackets, but not so much in the A & B ones. Add in a few shows that I did not see and I suspect I'm going to get hammered in this second round A & B. There's also one or two choices that I'm scratching my head about now wondering why I chose them? Oh, well I wont feel bad if I can end up at least in the middle of the pack at the end.
Oh, and let me say thank you for the work you put into this minigame Dorcas_Aurelia. |
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CrowLia
Posts: 5505 Location: Mexico |
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Group A-9
Fakir, Princess Tutu Mostly I vote him because I like him so much, but to add to it, I think he did a major turnover, from appearing to be completely abusive, cruel and unlikeable, to becoming my favorite character in the show by coming to terms with who he really is and figuring out the role he wants to play in the story, rather than the one that was fated for him Group A-10 Chi, Chobits Many doubted Chi on the first round saying "she went from having no personality to getting one". I think she deserves a lot more credit than that. For once, getting a personality doesn't sound like an easy deed. And while she was aided by Hideki and the people around her, she didn't go back to her past self, but built up a completely new persona from scratch while being able to solve the issues that her lost self left behind Group A-11 Sawako Kuronuma, Kimi ni Todoke Sawako is a character that I can kind of identify myself with, what with being really shy and entirely isolated from the rest of the world, yet she keeps trying her best to get close to people. That's why it is so satisfying to watch her slowly opening up, being able to make friends and find out a way to be honest about her feelings, changing her from a complete reject to being widely accepted and liked by her classmates Group A-12 Eva Heinemann, Monster Group A-13 Haruka Suzumiya, Rumbling Hearts Group A-14 Taichi Mashima, Chihayafuru Group A-15 Daikichi Kawachi, Bunny Drop Group A-16 Satou Tatsuhiro, Welcome to the NHK |
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One-Eye
Posts: 2261 |
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I think Satou and Welcome to the NHK is getting a little bit of a bad rap. It must be...a conspiracy.
Then there are times like when he is called out on one of his addictions and sees what his ugly future could be like (Clip). Here Satou is essentially scared straight off that addiction. At a later time Hitomi remarks that they keep bumping into each other and its ironic considering that he’s a hikikomori and among New Year’s crowds to boot. Sato admits that he’s doing better and says “a lot’s happened you know”. This occurs before he finally hits bottom. And what happens when he hits bottom? He reflects on how someone can keep being a hikikomori and that it was almost like a luxury. He can no longer blame the NHK for his shortcomings. I think this shows that the things he has experienced have affected him causing him to reflect and yes internalize some of it. To paraphrase Key a bit I would say that although the most noticeable improvement comes at the end, the foundation for it has been lain all series. He had to go thru a lot of suffering, struggle and humiliation to get there. He had to fall off the wagon several times and hit rock bottom before he could start climbing back up. And whereas some see his last lines in a negative light, I see it as him being lucid, realistic and a little hopeful particularly when he ends it with a determined smile "but damn it I’ll give it the best I’ve got. (from Eng dub)" |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18223 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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No, I'm more questioning that his thinking on such matters really caused him to change all the much. You make a good argument, but in Satou's case it still felt at the end more like he had made some progress down a much longer road, whereas Clare had essentially completed hers. Granted, that's not necessarily a negative, but seeing Clare come to completion at the end of Claymore was, for me, much more satisfying. Clare didn't just improve in a social sense, either; she also improved substantially in martial capabilities. Satou doesn't have an equivalent to that. I know people aren't putting as much weight on that kind of improvement, but Clare matches Satou closely enough on social and mindset improvement that it should matter. Really, the more that I think about it, the more that I am convinced that this is one of the second round's most interesting match-ups. Clare and Satou are, in some respects, a lot more similar that I had originally considered. Last edited by Key on Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:24 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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Yeah, this is pretty much how I feel too. Satou definitely improves a lot, don't get me wrong, but he still has a long way to go and in this match-up, that ultimately hurts him too much. He definitely got a bad draw, to end up against such a strong opponent as I would definitely vote for him over some of the others in this round, just not Clare. The case for her made in round 1 and here is just too compelling. |
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Tris8
 Posts: 2114 Location: Where the rain is. |
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Group A-9
Fakir, Princess Tutu vs. Ayaka Steiger, Kurau Pahntom Memory Fakir. Ayaka certainly isn't weak, but as others have said Fakir does everything she does and more. Group A-10 Piccolo Jr.,, Dragonball franchise vs. Chi, Chobits Piccolo. What Chi goes through is something every person does. Piccolo has an inspiring and slow transformation from remorseless and power-hungry to caring for Gohan. Group A-11 Sawako Kuronuma, Kimi ni Todoke – From Me to You vs. Eureka, Eureka 7 Sawako, Kimi ni Todoke Group A-12 Gaara, Naruto franchise vs. Eva Heinemann, Monster I'm really not sure on this one. There have been some good arguments for Eva that make me really want to watch Monster. I'm sticking with Gaara for now because not only does he learn to care for others, he learns how to most effectively make a difference by becoming an inspiring leader. Group A-13 Haruka Suzumiya, Rumbling Hearts vs. Yukino Miyazawa, His and Her Circumstances Yukino Miyazawa, His and Her Circumstances Group A-14 Taichi Mashima, Chihiyafuru vs. Hiei, Yu Yu Hakusho Taichi. Arguments convinced me. Group A-15 Jean Valjean, Les Miserables Shoujo Cosette vs. Daikichi Kawachi, Bunny Drop Jean Valjean. Daikichi starts out an awesome guy by taking Rin in during the first episode. He ends an awesome guy, who has learned a lot about taking care of a child. I didn't see any improvement in Daikichi. He didn't need any improvement. Group A-16 Clare, Claymore vs. Satou Tatsuhiro, Welcome to the NHK Satou. He starts out a total basket of crazy. Some characters make excuses and blame others for their shortcomings, but they are aware of the situation and what's going on. Satou comes up with some bonker conspiracy theory for what is causing his problems, and in the beginning he truly believes it. He is able to pull himself up from delusional and paranoid to a stable person ready to take on the world. One of the things I really like about Satou is he is a prime example of how you can attempt to change your life and have it blow up in your face. Almost all other characters in this tournament have their big turning point the minute they decide they want to change. Satou decides he wants to change, which is a step forward, but it doesn't magically get better for him as it does for a lot of characters in other series. He has to struggle and work to get where he is at the end. |
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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He goes from being a workaholic and perpetual bachelor to someone who is a damn good parent and has a significantly different view on life. That's definitely an improvement, in my books. |
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rheiders
Posts: 1137 Location: Colorful Colorado :) |
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I would also say that he went from someone who is irresponsible in how he deals with others (actually, taking in Rin on a mere whim in the first place is evidence of this) to someone who can handle the incredible responsibility of taking care of a young child. He did start out as a decent person, but he didn't start out as a father. |
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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Hoping my count is a little more accurate this time. Also hoping we have some more last day voters since the numbers are a bit low for this round so far :/
Group A-9 Fakir, 13 vs. Ayaka Steiger, 0 Group A-10 Piccolo Jr., 7 vs. Chi, 6 Group A-11 Sawako Kuronuma, 10 vs. Eureka, 3 Group A-12 Gaara, 4 vs. Eva Heinemann, 9 Group A-13 Haruka Suzumiya, 2 vs. Yukino Miyazawa, 11 Group A-14 Taichi Mashima, 10 vs. Hiei, 3 Group A-15 Jean Valjean, 3 vs. Daikichi Kawachi, 10 Group A-16 Clare, 7 vs. Satou Tatsuhiro, 6 So, two match ups that are very close in A-10 and A-16. A few others could get close with a handful of new votes coming in, though I think at this point we can probably safely expect Fakir to come out of this round just fine. |
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