Forum - View topicAnime Girl Traits...
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sophie07c
 Posts: 4 Location: Liverpool England |
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In many of the anime that I have watched I find that the girls all have the same traits. It can be a breath of fresh air when you watch an anime where the girls in it do not... seem to fall over all the time, do not make curious trade mark sounds, do not look anorexic, wear modest clothing (skirts that don't look like belts,) don't walk up to random people and make comments and show some signs of intelligence.
Now don't get me wrong, i do enjoy watching anime with the 'typical' types of girls in, I mean... thats generally what anime girls are like, right? I loved Sakura from Card Captors for instance, Aya from Kanon and yes these types can be very endearing and funny. However I was wondering weather any one else liked the more...eeerr... robust? or intelligent, sensible, modest anime girls out there... can any one name any? I can think of Princess Nausicaa (the one shown on my avatar) which is why I like her, she seems more down to earth and almost more realistic. Anyway I'm not quite sure why I feel slightly dubious towards the sterio typical 'kawaii' anime girls so help me out and please give me your opinions as to what type of anime girls you like the best and why! 
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jetz
 Posts: 2148 Location: Manila, Philippines |
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I know what you mean. I'm getting tired of the stereotypical, moe, anime girl. I noticed that I don't have a lot of anime girls I like - I seem to have more favorite guy characters. I do like Shuurei from Saiunkoku Monogatari. She hardly depends on her looks, what she counts on is her mind.
And she actually has an ambition, and that is to make a change, but she tries to attain it in a respectful way. |
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Murasakisuishou
 Posts: 1469 Location: NE Ohio |
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You just seem to be watching all the wrong series :p I used to lean more towards guys as favorite characters (seeing as how I'm a teenage girl and all), but now I've got a group of about seven favorites who are all ladies.
Two anime that immediately come to mind at the mention of 'strong female roles' are Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed. They're both based off of manga by Masamune Shirow, which means expect political and social commentary, kickass chicks, gun violence, and lots of it on all counts. Motoko Kusanagi, the protagonist of GitS, was obviously drawn for guys to drool over, but she's almost as opposite a stereotypical anime woman as you can get. She's an exellent leader and strategist, respected by her subordinates, and yet she also has a softer side that makes her a bit more personable. In a similar vein, Deunan Knute (the heroine of Appleseed) is also a skilled military commander and a respectable leader in tough situations, but she also has a decent sense of humor and is always willing to go out for a few drinks with the guys in her off hours. If you're looking for more down-to-earth, realistic girls, I highly recommend NANA. Two wonderful female leads who, even though the situations they find themselves in are as soap-opera-y as it gets, remain strong to the very end. There are also the shows like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Galaxy Angel that play on the common stereotypes, but make no mistake, they have girls to be reckoned with. Galaxy Angel is probably a better example of awesome stereotypical girls, since the score on Haruhi is brought down so much by Mikuru. |
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jetz
Posts: 2148 Location: Manila, Philippines |
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Actually, you may be right. I haven't seen Ghost in the Shell yet, but I have played the video game. And you're right about NANA. I can't believe I forgot about Nana Oosaki (Hachi's a bit of an airhead - although I like her). She has a strong personality and she really values her friends. But then again, she kinda acts like a guy so I guess that's why I didn't consider her in my first post. 
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Murasakisuishou
Posts: 1469 Location: NE Ohio |
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One of the reasons I love Hachi is that she started out as a total ditz, but by the end of the anime (or at least the first season) she had matured so much, even though she made some really stupid choices. She's such a sweetheart too <3 |
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littlegreenwolf
 Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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The day female anime characters start looking like they have a body that is physically possible is the day Barbie becomes realistic as well. |
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KyuuA4
 Posts: 1371 Location: America, where anime and manga can be made |
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You mean like this? http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/8921/hotrogueyn8.jpg If yes, then I agree. |
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The Seventh Son
Posts: 380 Location: Where your missing socks end up. |
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Jetz, i very highly recommend that you watch GITS. extremely awesome, a lot of action, and deep. very deep. all combined into great anime series. the original movie i didn't really like, but thats just me. i haven't seen the second movie or the third series, but its awesome.
now only if i get the chance to see every single episode of the first and second series.....damn. |
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Leuconoe
 Posts: 83 |
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I agree with you that Nausicaa's character feels more, well, human - even though we only see her for the short space of one film rather than over a lengthy series. It's ironic that a character in a (very) fantasy film should be in some way more 'realistic' than many females in anime with more real-life settings. I ought to get around to reading the Nausicaa manga. What about Princess Mononoke? The Mononoke film is often considered to be playing on many of the same themes as Nausicaa, and the Princess herself is brilliantly feral. The Major from GitS posesses a fine strategic mind and considerable ferocity - though as Murasakisuishou noted, she's also 'obviously drawn for guys to drool over'. The heroine of Kamichu!, while hardly a character who I would describe as inherently 'strong', is surprisingly normal (and as far as I can recall there's zero fanservice in the series) - of course, the point of the whole series is that she's a normal person coping with the fact that she's become a Shinto deity. Granted, she still posseses certain anime girl tropes (viz. her relationship with her cat). Patricia Casull, from Scrapped Princess, is a thoughtful young woman cominng to terms with her role as the possible [very minor spoiler, as this is revealed in the first ep] spoiler[bringer of the apocalypse] although I wouldn't say she dresses particularly modestly. The three Full Metal Panic series are hardly fanservice free, but Chidori is certainly a girl who knows her own mind, and towards the end of the third series she has some interesting character development. Saya in Blood+ is an action heroine with a complex character. Genshiken features Saki Kasukabe, whose struggle to understand her otaku boyfriend makes for an interesting plot. [Incidentally, Kasukabe smokes quite a lot. Just as a side note, how often in anime do we see female characters smoking? I can't think of many instances off-hand] Anyhow, probably some of those aren't such good examples, but for a quick list off the top of my head I don't think that's too bad. Regarding the OP's final question - which types of anime girls we like and why - I'd find it hard to answer that. I must say I'm a fan of razor-sharp wit, though I suppose that goes for characters of both sexes. |
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kizzmequik_74
 Posts: 302 Location: QC, Philippines |
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Hey, someone who's getting sick of the proliferation of moe girls in anime! Welcome to the club, I suppose.
Somewhat true, I suppose. There are plenty of series with decently-written, realistic female characters. The moe archetype does have its value, I suppose... Arguably as wish-fulfillment fodder for emotionally-deprived 'loser fanboys' with hikkikomori tendencies. I count myself as one, but funnily, I'm not really into the entire moe thing.  Though too much moe really can drive you nuts... Conversely, too much realistic characters can drive you to cynicism and depression, so balance?  But, to be honest, it's the Yamato Nadeshiko archetype that has really annoyed me as of late. Sure, it has deep roots in Japanese culture, but it's even more wish-fulfillment. Feh. 
Back on point: nice, refreshingly 'real' women in anime. Or at least non-moe girls. Nausicaa is a default answer, as is any female lead in any Hayao Miyazaki film. The 'strong female lead' is one of his hallmarks, and for good reason: being a feminist, he consciously writes in contrast to the moe archetype. Someone mentioned Masamune Shirow's characters... Fanservice-y character designs aside, I agree, Motoko is easily one of the strongest female characters in the history of forever. By extension, then, action heroines are usually non-moe. One such action heroine is Sara from Soukou no Strain. The show was set to look like a nice, quiet slice-of-life with mechs. But then, spoiler[all her friends are killed off], and she ends up with a rather severe case of post-traumatic-stress disorder, and spoiler[her pre-existing brother complex gets rather cruelly twisted]. Hiroko Matsukata from Hataraki Man is an interesting character as well, a woman trying to make a mark in a male-dominated industry in a male-dominated society. Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge's Sunako may have aspects of the Yamato Nadeshiko, but I really love her non-conformist tendencies. Haruhi, the female lead of Ouran High School Host Club is easily one of my favorite characters in.. forever. Interestingly, while it can be argued that she does induce feelings of moe, her personality certainly isn't the typical clumsy, idiotic, easily love-struck one that you usually find. Really, she's quite cynical, laid-back, and focused on her dreams of the future. She's quite like Kyon, really, only with better grades. 
Well, the OP's final question is tough, and I'm with Leuconoe here: razor-sharp wit. But also, I have somewhat of a case of meganekko-moe, so, glasses. 
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ace52387
 Posts: 61 |
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Is anyone else tired of the internally strong characters? They're almost always girl's too. They lack self confidence, leadership ability, and other traits that are generally considered strong, but they live through hardship of some sort so their heart is strong, or so all the other characters end up saying.
If there is one thing that put me off about Mayuko from Niea_7 spoiler[It's when Chiaki just had to blab, "wow you're strong..."] I've taken a liking to a lot of girls in action anime. Blood: The Last Vampire had Saya, who was pretty freakin awesome as an action lead, and no small part of that was due to voice acting. While she wasn't much of a character as a whole, she set the roof on fire in the action scenes. Desperation, aggression, and all that good drama was brought out by Saya. She was brutal, but never likened to a beast of some sort. Savage, but humanly so. I like Balsa from Seirei no Moribito for the same reasons I like Saya. There's more to Balsa though, as there should be, considering the screen time and all. The whole series has an epic feel to it, like a legend, and fittingly, as the main character of such a series, Balsa embodies honor, nobility, and heroism throughout the whole series. She's physically tough and mentally sharp, and in pretty much every way, admirable. |
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spooksmagee
 Posts: 182 Location: Rochester, NY |
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I'm a fan of the strong female characters myself, two that come to mind are Faye from Cowboy Bebop and Revy from Black Lagoon.
Even though both of them are self-proclaimed badasses on the outside, they do have their sentimental moments, which I think gives them more depth as characters beyond the typical, "token tough chick " stereotype. |
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kizzmequik_74
Posts: 302 Location: QC, Philippines |
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Well, what this really leads to a 'what is true strength' question, which will then make this thread sound like an episode of a Shonen Jump series, fufufu...
But really, then, 'strong' is the probably the wrong adjective to use with those characters. It seems like those characters exhibit less strength, and more perseverance, right? The whole 'inner strength' thing does seem to have its place, though, just as long as it isn't hammered to the audience. I don't really mind, since the 'suffering in silence' types CAN snap pretty nicely, in the proper series, and go about setting wrongs right... With chainsaws optional. If not, then the sheer amount of misery that they withstand will make the catharsis that they experience at the end of the story that much more satisfying. To me, though, action heroines are too obvious a bunch of choices for 'strong' characters, and they aren't particularly 'realistic' in some respects, either. Ah, well, that's why it's fiction, right? |
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Randall Miyashiro
 Posts: 2451 Location: A block away from Golden Gate Park |
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My current favorite for believable hero is Kurau. I love her gentle yet strong nature. Her maternal devotion for CHristmas and her sharp instincts are really great.
What often ruins a strong female character for me is her need for a boyfriend or interest in a typical high school kid. I understand why this happens in series like Shana and Fate/Stay considering these shows target audiences, but I think it weakens the character. |
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Leuconoe
Posts: 83 |
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I'd forgotten Ouran's Haruhi. Good point. While in many ways Ouran seems to be composed of the antics of the other characters, the series would just lack its heart without her level-headed, cynical commentary. It is often classified as 'reverse harem' though, so perhaps a more developed female lead is more likely in that genre . . . mind you, read the manga Hot Gimmick anyone? That's reverse harem and the heroine is a complete doormat.
I agree, and as you say it must often be a function of the target demographic. I suppose the creators consider that the loss of character inherent in having their heroine like this a worthy exchange for the boost it gives them with their fans. Bizarre that by weakening a character the creators can make said character more attractive for their target audience. |
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