Daydream Sanctuary Features

Sunday, February 28, 2010

+C: Sword and Cornett - Chapter 17

No Mariebelle fanservice for me for a long time but I'm so happy that Yugyoji-sensei drew this recently:

Ah . . .ehehe . . . already read this long ago but only managed to post about it today...

[ SUMMARY ]

Belca and Linna enter Hector's private study to look for the book that Hector was talking about in his message. Meanwhile, Orcelito has been reading documents consisting of reports from the council. The massacre of the amontel angered him but Kiliko advises the prince to let it go for now.
Belca and Linna had found the book and when he goes back to his chambers, a maid tells him that his usual coat was brought and he should wear it on the ceremony. The maid's cold attitude bothered Linna greatly. Belca says that it has always been like that. He doesn't know what Orcelito was thinking for making him participate as a commoner, but he believes his brother has his reasons for doing so. Then he orders Linna to report to Musca, and if she decides not to return to the palace, he should bring her to a safe place.
The next day, Belca overhears from the council members that Orcelito has made a siggestion to have Amontel under human supervision and will only be allowed to live like slaves. This bothered Belca greatly. He wanted to argue to those council members, but Linna stopped him because he thinks it would be best for Belca not to get involved with the council members or the Hokulea. So Belca decides to go straight to Orcelito instead. . . . and Orcelito's face didn't look that relaxed when Belca tells him that he doesn't think of Hokuleas as monsters like he used to.

[ ORCELITO'S JUST ENDURING IT ]

So Orcelito is still the kindhearted Orcelito that we know. He's indeed against the Hokulea oppression but he's forced to put a blind eye on the issue in order to execute his plan. He and Kiliko need to please the elders and make those bastards' guard down as much as possible so that when they finally begin to do their attack, things will go smoothly.
But still, Orcelito's acting skills is just so superb. When Belca told him that he doesn't think of Hokuleas as monsters anymore, Orcelito's creepy reaction makes you so convinced that he had really been a bad guy. Gah, no wonder Orcelito and Kiliko had been such perfect accomplices . . . . they are so talented in pretending to be evil and only show their real good side when just with each other.

[ IT'S STILL BROTHERLY LOVE ]

Oh Orcelito is still the older brother who wants to do and endure everything by himself for the sake of his siblings. I think he's keeping Belca in the distance and not involving Belca in his plans either for Belca not to worry. I think it must have also hurt Orcelito to treat Belca that harshly, but I guess that's what he thought of as the lesser evil. Oh you x_x
Belca still trusts that Orcelito knows what he's doing and is convinced that Orcelito's just doing what he thinks is best. Fortunately, Belca is right. If Orcelito was indeed drugged or Orcelito had really become a puppet, then Belca doesn't have an ally anymore from the palace and even within his family (Musca doesn't count. Not ever!!!)
But oh man Orcelito, please rely on Belca already. Don't be such a worry freak. Belca's not your baby brother anymore.Guh.

[ MASTER + SERVANT RELATIONSHIPS ]

Whoa . . . there's seems to be quite a number of Master + Servant relationships in this series. There's of course my OTP Belca + Linna. And yeah, there's Musca + Seamrog (Meh.). Then of course Orcelito + Kiliko. And there's actually yet another one: Kiliko + Crow. Hopefully Crow becomes a major character like Linna had become. He seems to have been devoted to Kiliko since childhood . . . I'm a sucker for that *_* More background of them please~

[ POOR PRINCE ]

We should award Linna as the "Greatest Belca Worry Freak Ever". He's not only a 24/7 bodyguard but he's also the one most concerned for Belca and he's the one most bothered when Belca is not being treated as the way he's supposed to be. Oh Belca might've had a happier palace life if Linna had been assigned as his retainer instead of just a captain. Fortunately they're together now, thanks to love at first sight destiny/fate.

[ OH HECTOR ]

Hector is indeed the type who would go through all that trouble for a porn book.
I'm amused that Linna is very shocked and disturbed with the idea. Haha.
Believe it or not, dear Linna, the crown prince is also the Lord of Crack.
NO ONE CAN EVER BEAT HECTOR IN BEING CRACK AWESOME IN THIS SERIES. NO ONE. EVER. HE RULES!

[ EPIC BACK OF AWESOME ]

IT'S HECTOR'S BACK!!!! DO I NEED TO SAY MORE? xD LOLz
And hhhmmm . . . I wish he had more scenes that this. IT'S NEVER ENOUGH!!!!!
*wild Hector fangurl is wild*

[ MARIEBELLE IS STILL IN HIS HEART ]

Noble's daughter disguising as a prostitute = prince crossdressing to disguise as a prostitue
LOLz Linna. LOLz.

[ MOE PRINCE IS MOE ]

In almost every chapter, Belca has a scene that makes you wanna cuddle him especially if Linna's also in that chapter. Damn it, Belca. Damnit *squishes Belca to pieces*

[ ECO-TAN IS LOVE ]

'nuff said.

Randomness: Chapter 23 is evil. Absolutely evil. iIll show why soon. It will drive Linna + Belca fans crazy. Damn it.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Disgraces to Feminity

I have been itching to type a post like this because I have so many to rant about when it comes to the characters that I hate in AniManga. However, for some reason I suddenly lose the mood when I try to start to do so. But recently, Aorii's post about Shoujo Heroines had triggered me to do this post already . . . so I did. Mwahahaha!

(art by Brungilda)
Behold! The Disgraces to Feminity post consists of the list of types of female characters that I despise. I separated them into twelve categories (to correspond to the letters of this blog's name) and each category contains multiple subcategories because it appears that these types of women could still be further classified.

(UPDATED)

But before I begin, let me answer the question: Why only females? Well, here are a few reasons:
1) To narrow down the stuff I'll be including in the list. In other words, to minimize the scope.
2) If I focus on the guys, I might be mistaken for an anti-guy girl. =_=
3) The manga I've been reading lately is richer in females that I find annoying.
4) Females know females better. We know what degrades our gender.
Despicable females can be found in any anime/manga demographic or genre. Ironically, though shoujo shows should supposedly make females shine, many of them do the opposite thing. They end up making the heroines as the mangaka's ideal selves, or making heroines that highly depend on the gorgeous men of their fantasies for their ideal romance. Such things make these female characters annoying and pathetic. It makes me feel sick.

Those descriptions are pretty vast/broad though. So I'll go specific. That's what this post is for after all.

But once again, before I begin with my list, there are some things to take note of....

The Scope:
- This will only cover female character types from the anime and manga universe.
- The list includes female character types from the following demographics: shounen, shoujo, seinen, josei
- They can also be found from titles that are under multiple genres. My tastes are various, so trust me to have considered many of them. However, I naturally can't say much from those I don't actually watch/read (like yuri)
- These are most likely not all the types of female characters that I hate. And my tastes may change.
- Some may indeed be applicable to males as well; but I'm focusing on those traits on females.
- This is only applicable to fictional females. I won't hate real people with those traits. Reality is a different thing.
- I will not be mentioning examples of the characters that I think fit the character type that I dislike. The purpose of this post isn't exactly to bash particular characters, but more on type of characters. Besides, characters that I think which fit the given categories will certainly differ to many others.
Let Me Make This Clear:
- These are what I hate. A personal list based on personal tastes. I'm not saying that they're the type of characters that everyone should hate. Stick to your own tastes and morals. But I admit I do encourage people to dislike such characters, bwahehehe!
- These are obviously just my opinions. I'm not telling people that they're wrong if our opinions differ so I don't like hearing people say that I'm wrong on this either (Wrong in the sense that I'm wrong for hating them).
- I'm bashing the character types, and perhaps criticizing their creators/mangaka as well; but I am not bashing fans who are fond of such characters. Everyone's opinions and tastes have to be respected.
- I don't mind if we have disagreements. Tell me your thoughts and I'll be happy to hear them. We can discuss and respect each other's point of view at the same time. And no, I won't get mad, as long as you're not rude and are not bashing me.
- Some of my presumptions/interpretations may be wrong. Sorry, I'm not omnipotent/perfect. I'm not immune to mistakes.
Other Important Stuff:
- I'm not exactly being a feminist here. A feminist would most likely be criticizing the ones creating such characters, not the actual character types. Hmmm.....
- If you are fond of the types of characters that I list here; that's fine. It's your taste and there's nothing wrong with that. I still love you.
- LOLz, no, I don't actually hate all types of females (some had thought I have mentioned almost all types, if not all). There are the exceptions of course, and I definitely have not mentioned all types of females in this post. And the ones that are listed here naturally have their counterparts/opposites.
- Those that have "It depends..." as exceptions are actually the types that I can't think considerations of unless there's really a special case on them. Like with the "Typical Bullies". I don't see them cool in any way at all x_x
- If there are typos or grammatical errors in this post, just ignore those like my any other post. I'm doing this for fun, so don't be too serious on this.
General Exemptions:
- If their undesirable (for me) traits have been to the extremes (they're not only "too much", but really super duper TOO MUCH), that's alright because they're usually done on purpose. They are intentionally made as ridiculous as possible for the sake of comedy or parodies/satires. Comedy makes the audience laugh at these traits; parodies and satires make fun of these traits and at the same time criticize them.
- Aside from comedy or parody/satire, it may also be for insanity or distortedness/twistedness. If the character has a mental or psychological disorder, then it's totally understandable~ xD
- If there's a reason why they're acting that way. For example, I may dislike useless characters but if they're being useless because of her illness, it can't be helped.
- If the character changes/develops/improves in the later parts of the series/film. But please, not more than half of it (like only the 22nd episode of a 24 episode series) or, if the series already reached more than a hundred episodes, not more than 50 of it! If the character only changed on the following season or from a timeskip . . .it depends.
- If they're . . . not human? I mean, you can't expect a robot or an alien to have what human beings consider as the "common sense".
- If I'm simply being biased (usually because they have a trait/quality that I'm fond of or adore so much). Pfft! 'Nuff said. Mwahahaha!
[ (H1) - INCREDIBLY USELESS ]

(art by bosh)
These females highly depend on other characters to keep them in the story but they don't do much, or none at all, to help themselves. More hate points to them if they're actually crying or moping in the face of danger. Additional hate points if they go "Please save me! Boohoo!"
==> (H1-A: Trouble Magnet a.k.a. Damsel Scrappy )
Most people would refer to her as the damsel-in-distress but I think rescue missions are actually romantic as long as it's not overdone. It's alright for a female to be in need of being rescued, however it's highly annoying if she gets into trouble for too many times and most of them are even because of her own stupidity. She's also the type who gets away even if she's already in safety zone (in other words, she still goes after trouble even when she's already secured).
~~~ Exceptions: The frequency of the kidnapping is excused if they get kidnapped so often mainly because they are of royalty or other high status (e.g. president's daughter), it's understandable because people in such a position are naturally tempting to kidnappers. Duh. That's only on the frequency of the kidnapping, but they still fall under here if they're in trouble because of their own fault.
==> (H1-B: Protected 24/7 )
These are the women with one or more bodyguards that aren't official. He/They (of course usually the male) had to always be by her side to keep watch on her, because she won't survive if he/they don't.
~~~ Exceptions: Naturally, people that are wealthy or of high status/position are excused to this since it's normal for them to be guarded that way. But hhhmm... they don't fall under here in the first place because they're official bodyguards. Then okay . . . it really depends.
==> (H1-C: The Burden )
It's the same as TV Tropes' The Load, but I want to be more specific. The Burden is someone who is of no use to the other characters AT ALL but want to be by that character's side even so. Thus, when they get into trouble, the other character has to worry for them and help them. In other words, they're the ones that would make the other character's life much easier if only they aren't around.
~~~ Exceptions: If there is a good reason why they need to keep close to that character and also why they are being weak/useless. Like a girl with a heart disease but had to stay close to her brother because they don't have anyone else to trust.
==> (H1-D: Powerless Most Powerful )
It's the same as TV Tropes' The Load as well, except that they actually have one of the strongest, if not the strongest of all, abilities/powers but aren't or can't be activated/used until the last minute or only when the writer feels like it. So aside from the final attack, she's just for display or a burden.
~~~ Exceptions: If it's out of her control? But still depends....
==> (H1-E: Strong Except When Necessary )
This female is portrayed as someone strong (physically or mentally) and tough. She may also have background on sports that have something to do with fighting or self defense (like judo, karate, etc.). But when on important/dangerous scenarios, she'll be acting as the exact opposite; and that usually happens to have her love interest or someone else do the cool act for her. This female may also be the type who doesn't exactly hurt other people, but is capable of hurting a certain (or more) character, usually her love interest, very badly.
~~~ Exceptions: Errr.... she had amnesia? Or opponent's really too tough for her? It still depends.... but usually no way.
==> (H1-F: Fragile and Vulnerable )
This is the type that is just too easy to injure physically (if it's emotional, I'm putting it in another category). So much to the point that a simple scratch will already have her body spilling quite an amount of blood! Or a simple slap makes her incapable of getting up anymore. Plus hate points if she's depending on someone to shield her or take care of her wounds for so many freakin' times. Whut.
~~~ Exceptions: Naturally, those with illnesses or are born with a really frail body are excused. Also those who are exhausted or have been treated as slaves (as in serious slaves, not crack slaves, you know what I mean). It's alright to be weak, but TOO weak is just odd.

[ (Y2) - CLOSEMINDED HYPOCRITES ]

(art by SasuHale1125)
These are the females that don't appreciate/acknowledge those that are different from them or those that don't agree to what they believe in. Their ears are closed to your reasons and justifications. They also claim to be good and/or perfect; but they actually act worse than what they believe as wrong.
==> (Y2-A: Discriminating Supremist )
This female is judgemental and discriminates others usually by class or race. She believes that where she belongs are better or far more superior than the rest.
~~~ Exceptions: If she's brought up that way I guess. It's parents to blame. Just like in real life. But if the other characters who are raised the same way but aren't like her, she's the problem T_T
==> (Y2-B: Exceedingly Self-Righteous )
What she believes in is the only thing that's right while the others are wrong. She always has to do things her own way; and if you don't let her do so, you're the bad guy. She won't ever think of her decisions are outrageous, silly, or simply wrong; because she's always right.
~~~ Exceptions: Well, only if the people she's going against are really wrong. It's a chaotic world. Easier to find bad people that the righteous ones.
==> (Y2-C: Stubbornly Unreasonable)
She's quite the same as the Exceedingly Self-Righteous but the big difference is that sometimes she actually knows what she wants to do is wrong, but just can't accept it. And if you have done something what she thought was bad, she won't listen to your side/reason at all. Whatever she had thought of first is her final decision. (example, she caught you with her mother's expensive necklace and blamed/suspected you for stealing it, but you're actually just claiming it back because her mother borrowed it from you)
~~~ Exceptions: It depends.... but most of them are really untolerable
==> (Y2-D: Single-Minded )
It's alright to have a goal and seriously aim for it.... but if that's the only thing you think about for the rest of your life until you reach it, it can be quite annoying. Especially if they're very simple things like getting a boyfriend or giving a stuff toy to everyone in your school. I find it stupid.
~~~ Exceptions: Well, if dumbness and stupidity is part of her character trait I guess....
==> (Y2-E: Radical Fanaticism )
This female is usually part of some cult or organization and has become highly devoted to its beliefs and practices. This is usually applicable to a female follower of a religious group; she'll blindly believe her leader and willing to do what is obviously wrong to those with common sense simply because that's what her religious leader say that will bring her to salvation.
~~~ Exceptions: If she's brainwashed.

[ (P3) - DESPERATE DAMSELS ]

(art by thehiddensapphire)
These are the females who would literally do anything to be with the one that they love. It's creepy and pathetic at the same time because in a way it shows that she actually enjoys it to be the one who would kneel down before the guy or cling to him like glue (in other words, she thinks her beloved as the superior too much). And she doesn't know how to give up.... or if things are already obviously hopeless to her, she'll still endure it. Yeah, they're also the type who don't know how to move on.
==> (P3-A: Masochistic Slave )
She would do anything for the guy she loves even though she knows that he's just using her. If it's what he says that will make him happy, she'll do it. No question at all. She won't hate him (at least, not for long) if he would continuously hurt her. She can't help it because of love.
~~~ Exceptions: If she's really a masochist or he had been the only one nice to her (even if it's just once) or he's her relative or she's his actual servant/maid/slave (duh.)
==> (P3-B: Go Bishie For Him )
This usually applies to women who pretend as a guy in an all boys school for the chance of being able to interact to the boy she likes (or whatever reason just to get close to a particular guy). I mean, DUH, can't she wait? Why not try to approach him when he manages to go outside? I don't hate gender bender, but this lame excuse for the sake of a crossdressing girl, I'm not that pleased.
~~~ Exceptions: Naturally, those who don't do it intentionally or are just forced to do so or she has a reason for it (like she wants to become a knight but the knight school doesn't accept girls) don't count. These women don't really apply to this category in the first place because they're not doing it for him.
==> (P3-C: The Very Observant Girl )
She follows him around, asks around or researches about him, eavesdrops on conversations with him or about him, etc. Doesn't have to be an actual stalker level, but if she's minding the business of the guy she likes too much, it's annoying enough.
~~~ Exceptions: If being a stalker is actually part of their character trait or is her disorder. I also exclude those that are fans of celebrities.
==> (P3-D: Forever One-Sidedness)
She knows her love is unrequited and there is obviously someone else that's meant to be for her but she won't ever give up on the one she had set her eyes on. She doesn't know why. Just not ever. She can't do it. If she can't have him, she'll either just go emo about it or do something violent.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends... but I excuse yanderes xD
==> (P3-E: Obsessed Fool)
He is always in her thoughts. She can relate him in the daily ocurrences in her life (for example, her grandmother gives her a cake, she recalls her loved one's favorite cake or their last time to eat a cake or such). His name is almost in her every freakin' sentence. She almost always talks about him naturally. It's all about him, him, and him.
~~~ Exceptions: Maybe if she hasn't seen him for a really really long time? But it still depends.... but I don't think there are anymore. I find them really creepy.
==> (P3-F: Separation Unmanaged )
If she has to be separated from the love of her life, she couldn't bear it because not being around that person hurts her so badly. Separation would usually cause her to become too lonely or depressed. She may also have suicidal tendencies, and they're as shallow as her boyfriend suddenly wanting to break up with her.
~~~ Exceptions: If she'll be lonely or depressed that she'll never be able to see the other person ever again, much more if she knows that the place that the other person is going to is somewhere dangerous (like a wife separated from her husband because he's forced to participate in the army).

[ (E4) - FORCED COMPLICATIONS ]

(art by DreamingPhotographer)
These are the females who don't want to change (or would stop themselves to do so because of doubt or something) for the sake of delaying the story development because the writer doesn't know how to continue the story once the main issue has been resolved or simply doesn't want the series to end anytime soon.
==> (E4-A: Pretend as the Opposite)
She is already aware that she's in love with the guy but will continue to do what she usually does because she can't make herself confess to him. Only her thoughts about him will change, but her treatment won't. Making the guy even more confused of what she really feels.
~~~ Exceptions: If she's a tsundere from the very beginning . . . but it still depends....
==> (E4-B: In Denial/Doubt )
She already knows that she's in love with the guy but she encourages herself not to believe it. Her usual reasons are because she thinks it impossible or it's because she isn't sure if her love will be requited (then it's not true love T_T), or the guy might just be nice to her for another reason aside from love (they're usually blind to the guy's obviousness that he's really doing it out of love =_=).
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (E4-C: Admitting Incapability )
She is already so obvious and everyone can see it but she still won't admit it. She'll also make up excuses no matter how obviously false they had been (like when she kisses the guy, she'll just say it was CPR but she obviously wasn't giving him any air.)
~~~ Exceptions: It depends.... but most types that are like these are intolerable =_=
==> (E4-D: PlayGirl )
She is stuck in the middle of a love triangle or has a number of guys to choose from but she still doesn't choose among them even if the one she truly likes is already freakin' obvious. Or if it's true that she really can't decide, she switches flirting times on with her admirers (or on many of them if more than 2 guys like her). Yeah, she has no sense of loyalty.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends.... but those that I know (or can remember at the moment) are really worthy to just die T_T

[ (R5) - UNREALISTICALLY WONDERFUL ]

(art by DracheaRannak)
They're also known as the Mary Sue, but Mary Sue is applicable in fanfics. So the more appropriate term for such I guess is the Canon Sue. These females have too many positive and extraordinary qualities, and very few or no flaws. In other words, they're unbelievably perfect.
==> (R5-A: Overflowing Beauty )
She has beautiful hair, beautiful eyes, beautiful nose, beautiful lips, beautiful body, beautiful voice, beautiful clothes, beautiful accessories, beautiful house, beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful. She always walks/moves gracefully, and her presence makes the atmosphere bright. Her smile will also make you happy plainly because you find her so pretty. Plus points if she sparkles/glows or flowers appear out of nowhere!
~~~ Exceptions: If she's a goddess of love and beauty or the like, duh. Or there's something enchanting about her or she's part of a fairy tale.
==> (R5-B: Better Than Everybody )
The title is self-explanatory. And of course, it's not just one trait. And she doesn't need to have believable background to be able to possess such talents. And if she's not good at it yet, it won't take her long to manage to beat the others . . . or sometimes she doesn't need time because she's a natural or the like.
~~~ Exceptions: If she's a prodigy (though prodigies excel too much on something, they aren't usually good at TOO many things. And prodigies may be weak on something else) or a Jill-of-All-Trades (though they may be good in many things, they're a master of none. Not really applicable to this category either). It's also excusable if she's not human, or simply because the rest of the cast just suck that much.
==> (R5-C: Spotlight Owner )
It's all about her. The story's nothing without her. I know it's natural for the story to center on the main character, but their purpose is to keep the main plot going. The story can still move on without highly depending on the main character you know. There are subplots and stuff after all. But the Spotlight Owner needs to have everything centered on her. Ah, another addition would be, if something happens to her, it's a BIG ISSUE. Like when she cries or if she's sad, EVERYONE will be bothered or will at least notice it.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (R5-D: Favorite of the Luck Goddess )
No matter how hopeless the situation is, she will always win. If she encounters danger/trouble, the perfect person to rescue her will come right on time. If she needs something or has problems, help will always come out of coincindence. She doesn't run out of luck ever.
~~~ Exceptions: If she has a genuine lucky charm, duh. Or the goddess of luck herself, or related to such a deity.
==> (R5-E: Super Duper Special )
She's either a special case or she often gets special treatment, usually for no reason at all or for very shallow reasons. An example of the former could be that during a magical examination, only she out of all her classmates gets to pass, even if some of the others are supposedly more qualified. Or she is someone immune to supernatural powers....and explanations to why she's like that won't ever be revealed. An example for the later perhaps would be that when she gets injured, majority of the cast would be worried about her condition, whether they're really close to her or not. Ah! Also, she's usually the "only girl" or the "new girl in school/town". I commonly see this in reverse harem crap. From what I see, the main excuse of her "specialness" is because she's the main character. Whut....
~~~ Exceptions: If she's not a main character? . . . It still depends....
==> (R5-F: Everyone Loves Her [except the bad guys] )
She is so wonderful that everyone would eventually adore her, if not yet. It's so difficult to dislike her because she's just too freakin' nice and angelic. What she does is always right and hurting her is the absolute sin.
~~~ Exceptions: If she's a princess or of similar high status I guess. Her people would naturally adore her. But if she's still adored even by strangers plainly because of her "aura" . . .that's too supicious.

[ (P6) - EXTREME HURRY TO GO LOVEY-DOVEY ]

(art by anacronico)
These females consider being involved in a romance as their ultimate goal. Forget studies, forget career, forget life, and other important matters. Being with the guy of her dreams is the most important one for her. It's her absolute happiness.
==> (P6-A: Wanna Hook-Up )
She wants to live a normal life, and the first or only thing that she considers as being "normal" is having a boyfriend.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (P6-B: Wanna Marry )
She wants to get married with the guy she loves as soon as possible. She also dreams of becoming a housewife and have children to take care of. Only those.
~~~ Exceptions: Maybe it's okay that she wants to get married very soon if she can't stay/live long or something....
==> (P6-C: Wanna Kiss and/or F*ck )
She is disappointed if her boyfriend still hasn't kissed her even if they've been dating for a long time already. It has to be a kiss; his other signs/acts of affection don't count. She is also getting impatient when her love interest isn't making other advances on her ("touching her"), but she usually rejects or gets embarassed when he thinks or attempts of doing so. Whut.
~~~ Exceptions: Unless they're actual . . .sluts? It depends....

[ (A7) - ANGSTY SELF-TORMENT ]

(art by redundant1)
These females are highly sensitive and emotional. They also don't use their brains that they do actions that are completely unecessary.
==> (A7-A: ButtHurt Feelings)
She is sensitive enough to have her feelings hurt even on very shallow things like being called "ugly" or her boyfriend wasn't able to go to their date like he had promised (even if he has good reasons).
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (A7-B: Cry/Emo About Her Weaknesses )
She realizes that she hasn't been helpful/useful and cries about it. She feels depressed that she's been good for nothing but she wastes screentime with her tears or angst moments instead of actually doing something about it. Usually by doing this she even makes the other character even further worried about her. It's okay once in a while, but doing it too long and too often is irritating.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (A7-C: Sacrifice Done Wrong )
Similar to what is also known as the Martyr Without a Cause. If the one important for her will be harmed and she has to be kidnapped for the other character to be safe, she'll do it. She won't think of other options because she isn't capable of doing so and she thinks it's her way to repay her savior because everything's her fault.
~~~ Exceptions: I actually like selfless people . . . it's pretty complicated to differentiate the annoying types and those that are actually admirable. Depends.

[ (R8) - NAIVE TO THE CORE ]

(art by gilad)
These females are too innocent or dumb that they are not capable of seeing/determining what's obvious. For some reason they don't have common sense either. TO put it simply, they're idiots. I don't hate the ditz though...
==> (R8-A: Absolute Trust )
It doesn't matter if she was fooled by the same person more than once; doesn't matter if it's the same strategy either. She'll believe anything. Anything.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends. There are special cases like with Nao from Liar Game, wherein she's been trusting people because she forces herself to trust them for her belief that it's the right thing to do. And well, trust begins in oneself.
==> (R8-B: Innocence and Purity Overload )
So pure and innocent that she doesn't know cruelty, greed, and other forms of evil exist (not wanting to see them is different from not knowing about them. I'm refering to the later). I'll understand if she was brought up in a very loving environment or something, but if her background and environment is same as everyone else, that's just odd.
~~~ Exceptions: If she's just a child I guess
==> (R8-C: Eyes are Blind to the Obvious )
Her admirer is showing all the obvious signs that he's in love with her, and everyone already sees it except for her! She'll get it if it's with other people, but not if she's part of the subjects. Sometimes she still won't get it when shown to her so directly.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends.... but usually I don't understand them. They could be counted under the "Forced Complications" category actually...
==> (R8-D: Completely Dumb or Common Sense Lost )
I guess it's also called as someone who is Too Dumb to Live.. I wonder how such characters manage to survive long.... oh yeah, maybe they depend on other characters that aren't as dumb as they are.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....

[ (F9) - PERVERTED AND MOE FANSERVICE ]

(art by zylair)
These females exist to please the perverted audiences. That's all they're there for.
==> (F9-A: Adorableness Power )
They exist for the sake of pleasing the eyes of lolicons and they can get away with anything for being cute.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (F9-B: Accident Prone )
She's also known as the Cute Clumsy Girl. She always get involves into tripping accidents, but she will never be badly injured. And her clumsiness is often an excuse for moe or pantyshot fanservice. WTF.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (F9-C: Unintentional Sluts )
Females that aren't exactly seducing or is actually unwilling but still wear very sexy and revealing outfits. They usually have the gigantic boobs . . . because a lot of men like big boobs. It doesn't matter if they're unrealistically BIG (as in, reaching below their waists already). I don't care if they get harassed; they're indirectly asking for it! T_T
~~~ Exceptions: It's alright if it's for gag and stuff, or if they're really seductresses (but if that's the case, it doesn't make them "unintentional", thus not part of this category in the first place o_O).

[ (A10) - JEALOUS B!TCHES ]

(art by frozenkiss)
These females are so jealous that they do very immature and undesirable actions. They also don't know how to accept defeat.
==> (A10-A: Typical Bullies )
If someone she likes is flirting with another girl, whether it's true or not, she'll do the typical bullying to the girl he likes out of jealousy. She does that to scare her and not go near to her crush anymore. How immature.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends.... I don't think there is. It's just so stupid.
==> (A10-B: Boyfriend Attacker )
Her love interest is being flirted by some other girl, and the one she attacks is her love interest but doesn't say/do anything to the other girl. Even if it's obvious that he's not laying his eyes on other girls and the other girls are the ones making the move, jealous girlfriend will still see it as him cheating on her. (Tsundere Type B of TV tropes apply to this as well I think)
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (A10-C: Other's Happy Ending Hater )
If she acknowledges the the person she likes is already in love with someone else, she'll do anything to make them break up. She may also think of killing the guy she likes with her thinking "If I can't have him; no one else can!"
~~~ Exceptions: It depends.... (yanderes don't fall in this category okay! )

[ (I11) - PESKY LOLIS ]

(art by juzjoy123; I like tinker bell though)
Little girls that simply annoy the hell out of me.
==> (I11-A: Spoiled Brats)
They are usually those little girls that have been able to get everything that she wanted and was treated like a princess. So if she encounters something different, she complains and whines or other bratty acts.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (I11-B: Out of Control )
They're too naughty or wild to handle. Troublesome to make her behave. 'nuff said.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (I11-C: Deafiningly Loud )
She's just too noisy. Whether she cries out loud, talks too much, has a habit of making some annoying sound effects, whatever. Those who say a particular line too often count here too. (example: "Shut up!")
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....

[ (T12) - OTHER FORMS OF STUPIDITY ]

(spotted at Google; and yeah, I hate Bella Swan. Twilight might've been better without her)
The types that I think don't fall under any of the categories above.
==> (T12-A: Shallow Display )
She's so plain and boring. Nothing different or interesting about her. She's just part of the background. She may also be the type that won't have any personality if she doesn't have a love interest. TV Tropes calls that a Shallow Love Interest
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (T12-B: Beauty Overappreciator )
She admires the beauty of every bishounen or bishoujo she meets. Of course she won't miss anyone from the main cast, except for her love interest in some series. Oh just shut up T_T
~~~ Exceptions: It depends.... like with Sunako from Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge . . .it's hilarious xD
==> (T12-C: Can't Keep Her Mouth Shut )
She is incapable of keeping secrets. She easily spills information that will bring trouble to her comrades. She's that careless and stupid.
~~~ Exceptions: Errr . . . if she was drugged or enchanted or threatened or something. And of course it doesn't fall under here if it only happened once or twice.
==> (T12-D: Third Person Referral )
She refers to herself with her name instead with a simple "I". To some it seems cute and makes her feel younger. But for me she's being too childish and considers her name as one of the best names ever that it has to be part of her every freakin' sentence. The hell...
~~~ Exceptions: It depends.... and hhhmm... it's okay with me if it's not that often I guess.
==> (T12-E: Tomboy Wannabe )
Wearing shorts or pants doesn't make a girl a tomboy; tomboys wear actual boys clothes. Being good in sports that are generally believed to be in the boy's domain doesn't automatically classify her as a tomboy either, especially if girls teams exists on such a sport (like basketball) or if she also plays girlie sports. And if she's into boys stuff (video games, etc.), it's just taste. Also, not all lesbians are tomboys.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (T12-F: Too Shy )
She's very very shy and doesn't make the effort to speak up at all (or think of doing so at least).
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....
==> (T12-G: Just Food )
She's usually good for nothing but her only use is to become the other character's energy supply. Yeah, like those girls who offer their blood to vampires they like because that's the only thing they could be useful for.
~~~ Exceptions: Unless, errr . . . it's her job? Like the woman in Hana to Akuma.
==> (T12-H: Stupid Idea of Love )
They consider it love if the one they like is stalking them. It's also okay to be happy if the love interest is jealous, but to be so thrilled about it when the love interest is being so possessive is abnormal.
~~~ Exceptions: It depends....


I already made this as short as possible but it's still freakin' long x_x Anywayz, I still feel like I have missed some character types.

How about you guys? Something to add? Something to object about? I might have ben misunderstood by not being that clear .... Hmmm..

(EDIT A FEW HOURS LATER: I knew I missed something or forgot to mention stuff. Made minor corrections. I'm lazy to recheck again)

(EDIT A FEW DAYS LATER: Made clarifications; added some stuff; did corrections; etc.)

Durarara!! - Episode 8

Yay for Selty focus episode~

Selty looks really cute in her nightwear~ And her knife is way cooler than the oridnary kitchen knife. Haha!

[ IZAYA'S NOT THERE BUT... ]

Yeah, the fan favorite did not appear in this episode even with just one brief scene like the first one. However, he got REPRESENTATIVES. His sisters made a cameo appearance (I've mistaken them for the maids though . . .assuming one of them just removed her braids and glasses. Stupid moi. Thanks Kagura for the correction ^^;)
I hope Mairu and Kururi get a proper introduction soon =D If Izaya himself is freakin' twisted, his siblings are not different xD Though they might be creepier than him because Izaya himself couldn't handle them, haha!

[ LOST OBJECTS ]

It feels like that's the theme of the episode because many of the main cast had lost something. Selty lost her head, Shinra lost his day off, Mika lost her memories, Erika lost Walker, Walker lost Erika (and his phone), Anri lost her shoes, then Mikado lost his tie.
Not all the lost items have been found; some didn't bother to look for it anymore while some didn't give up.
There's a foreigner that sort of acts as a "Lost and Found" section. She doesn't seem to be asking to be paid, or maybe the payment part was just not shown. I wonder if there is or had been really people working that way in Ikebukuro. It's . . . an unusual job.
Mikado also wrote on the pad. It could be just his tie . . . but I have a feeling that it's something bigger.... (why not show it to the audience >.<)
[ MIKADO DESERVES BETTER ]

Anri lost her shoes. I dunno if she was just being bullied or she's just careless. But she did mention that she often loses things since she was a child, so it might be the later (of all places for it to be lost though. Or maybe there's a meaning why it's there~). She didn't find it that important to look for it that badly but Mikado still continued the search. And when he found it, he went through the trouble of going to Anri's place to deliver the pair of shoes. Anri just thanked him and closed the door.
Like many others, I find what Anri did really rude. Perhaps she has a reason to be with people as less as possible starting late afternoon . . . but still, Mikado's being underappreciated T_T

[ KIDA.... ]

Fortunately there's still best friend who also helps Mikado out even in school troubles. He also checked up on Mikado when Mikado's left in school still searching for Anri's shoes/
What I didn't get that Kida insists that he knows the culprit behind these stuff and ran to search for him/her. I doubt he's just letting Mikado and Anri have time alone together since he's part of the love triangle. Maybe Kida's upto something else. Guh . . . you mysterious boy you...

[ WALKER x ERIKA ]

(GIF by francismeunier of MAL)
I SHIP THESE TWO!!! THEY ARE REALLY REALLY CUTE!!!!
They were together (pfft! it seems that they're inseparable. most likely they're canon already) but lost each other. They desperately looked for each other but fortunately there's a "lost and found" girl and they were able to communicate and see each other again. Now they're together again, they have the guts to dance in public. Oh they're so adorable~

[ SHIZUO and SELTY ]

I honestly didn't get the part with them figuring out what used to be in that vacant lot....
But oh their symmetrical reactions had really been cute xD
Hmmm . . . . even though it was Shinra who connected these two, Shizuo hangs out more with Selty than with Shinra. Or eprhaps he got tired of Shinra from their school days. Hahaha! Or it's simply because Shinra's too weird for him. Hahaha!
Anywayz, it's cute that these two are really really close that they often help each other out. Shizuo even treats Selty like a dude (slapping her back like that). Haha.

[ SHINRA x SELTY ]

Shinra absolutely sees Selty as a woman though. Interestingly, he's the only one who can "see" Selty's facial expressions. He has analyzed her enough that he could understand her feelings and moods but just looking at the smoke coming out of her body? Whoa...
The episode seems to be centered on the two of them~ Kyaaaaa~ Shinra and Selty seem like a set. On the Shinra episode, he talked about himself but he gave us a lot of information abotu Selty as well. Then this time it's a Selty episode, but we learn a lot about Shinra as well! They come together! It's gotta be Shinra AND Selty if one of them happens to be the focus of the episode. Wheee~
Selty had a day off and Shinra had actually calculated the number of days since she had her last day off. Because Selty's free, Shinra made a "forced" day off for him as well but turning off his phone and even removing the lan for his internet connection. Haha! It's Selty>>>>>>Work for Shinra. Daaaaaw~
It's also very cute that Selty wanted to cook for Shinra for her day off. It's SO SWEET and that makes Shinra so overjoyed that he cried while he was eating his food. Unfortunately, Selty interpreted his crying as "he's just forcing himself to eat my bad cooking for me not to feel bad". Oh poor Shinra . . . delicious meal of love went bye bye because of a misunderstanding.

[ SHINRA'S JOB ]

It looks like Shinra's job seems to be something really dangerous and secretive that even Selty has no idea of what he exactly does. Dangerous people demand him . . . and though he does illegal stuff he doesn't seem to like his job very much. Though he's forced to do whatever his clients tell him to do . . . because they seem to know about Selty and will plan to harm her if Shinra doesn't do what they please. Must be hard for Shinra. He's not really a bad guy but he's still Selty>>>>>>>>Everyone-Else. Eheheh.

[ SHINRA NEEDS A HUG ]

That fortune cookie . . . NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unrequited Love is too sad for Shinra. GAH! DRRR!! Please show that not all "fortune tellings" really come true!!!!
There's a chance, Shinra. Selty herself is saying that she thinks her feelings for you are love.
BAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW . . . . I don't want Shinra to be lonely. Fan love isn't enough. He needs Selty. Only Selty will make him absolutely happy. Waaaah, Selty! Selty! Please don't ever leave him. Baaaaaawwwwww~

[ SELTY and HER HEAD ]

(Most beautiful face in the series xD)
Anyway, Selty got lucky on the fortune cookie thing though. I guess it's already foreshadowing that she'll be seeing her head soon with the revelation of what her face is and the dreams she has been having about it.
So it's shown that the mysterious girl has her head and she's also being called Selty. From spoilers it has been confirmed that it's actually the stalker girl (she's wearing the wardrobe after all). Her memories seems to have been erased . . . ah well, that's no problem to Seiji.

[ SEIJI'S MESSED UP LOVE ]

Seiji's so in love with Selty's face that it's kinda creepy. Hahaha! Well, this series had the "distorted love story" description after all, haha.
I wonder how they knew the name of the head. Perhaps we'll find that out next episode.

[ NEXT EPISODE ]

IZAYA'S BACK AND HE'S NOT WEARING HIS FLUFFY JACKET OF AWESOME xD
And I think Namie's the character focus next time? OH PLEASE MORE NAMIE SCREENTIME!!!
Izaya . . . Namie . . . I want them to interact as soon as possible . . . my OTP . . .please please please~

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Durarara!! - Episode 7


Oh this episode had been so much fun! There's so much more to love aside from Shizuo in this episode~

[ CHARACTER OF THE EPISODE ]

There had been so many things to say about the character spotlight in this episode that I had to make a separate entry just for Shizu-chan because there's already so much to say in just adoring him. Haha!
I love it that even if this series has different narrators (at least in its earlier episodes), the flow is still the same, and the narrating style is still in-character. I love it that the staff still aims to be creative even on parts that are often being neglected such as the narrating style.
Anywayz, back to Shizuo, he's actually a nice guy who wants peace and quiet in his life but unfortunately for him he's easy to piss off and he couldn't control it. But it doesn't seem that he doesn't stay angry at someone for too long (except for you-know-who xD) and he calms down as quickly as he gets angry. He's such a loving person . . . no wonder he also has a number of people close to him. Daaaw~ I guess only an evil psychopath such as Izaya could is capable of hating this guy. Bwahahaha!

[ THE CELEBRITY ]

One of the most important persons to Shizuo is none other than his younger brother: Kasuka. What happened to their parents, I dunno. But they seem to be really close that they're together so often.
Kasuka became a popular celebrity. The debut movie was crack. Haha! It's actually quite a surprise that he became an actor because he always wears an emotionless face. I don't see him showing different emotions other than the combat mode on the clip of his debut movie. It would be more belivable if he was just a famous model . . . but hhhmmm, it's still cool that this emotionless guy can actually do great acting. Hehe.
But now that Kasuka's so famous, he became so busy that he had less time with his brother. It was so cute to see Shizuo missing his brother. I think Kasuka had felt the same~

[ TOM-SAN ]

I just realized that Tom's the only guy who calls Shizuo with a "-chan" without Shizuo getting angry at him. So Tom's permitted to treat Shizuo like a kid? Hahaha! It's funny to see it that way because of their current ages.
So like Kasuka, Tom appears to be one of the most important persons to Shizuo. He goes facepalm but he doesn't seem to hate Shizuo when he does . . . damages. Hehe. And hhhmm . . . it looks like he's the type who is calm when scolding Shizuo that Shizuo apologizes instead of getting angry at him. People that can handle Shizuo sure are incredible....
It was so nice of Tom to give Shizuo a job after Izaya ruined everything. Looks like Shizuo can still act childish and immature sometimes that he needs an older brother figure. Hehe.

[ SELTY~ ]

Then I guess Selty is the older sister figure to him. I doubt she had ever made him mad. She's very very very very nice. Just talking to her calms Shizuo down. It's her aura. Wahehehe.
So how she was introduced to Shizuo was somethign casual. And Shinra had blurted out the fact that Selty was lookin for her head. Shizuo didn't seem to be the type to freak out on supernatural things.
I giggled when Selty got mad at Shinra when he teased her. She punched him when he was teasing her for meeting some guy and she squished him when he wants to say that she's gonna be his future . . . hahahahahah! Selty, you have such an amusing fanboy~

[ ADORABLE WEIRDO ]

LITTLE SHINRA IS SO SQUISHABLE!!!!!!!!!!! xD
The weirdo has been interested in unnatural things. We know he's so into Selty, then I guess it's no surprise that he became interested in Shizuo as well. He was so fascinated and he had made a lot of theories . . . but Shizuo didn't give a damn. All Shizuo knew was that he's just getting stronger. Hehe.
It's amusing to watch Shinra still trying to experiment on Shizuo even until they grew up. Shizuo of course rejects him but they still hang out together. I think Shizuo considers Shinra as noisy and idiotic, but he doesn't push him away. Shizuo isn't mean to people who are fond of him =P
But hhhhmmm . . . Shinra's interest on abnormal individuals seem to have no bounderies . . . . because he had become acquainted to the evil psycho as well:

[ EVIL BASTARD ]

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~
Oh gosh, high school rebel that doesn't even want to wear the school uniform? Or perhaps it's because he thinks that he looks hotter in black? Hahahaha!
Izaya didn't only dislike Shizuo . . . he did whatever he can to not only piss him off but also mess up his life. It was really really cruel of him to even thank and pay the guy who accidentally hit Shizuo with a car. He was like encouraging the dude to continue that "noble" act. No wonder Shizuo hates him. They both want to kill each other; but Izaya doesn't just want to kill him . . .but make his life miserable as well.
Of course, if he's a character in real life, he's absolutely despicable. But since he's a fictional character . . . .and twisted fictional characters are delightfully crazy . . . I still love him!!! Hahahahahha!

[ FORMER RAIRA TRIO ]

Currently we have Mikado, Kida, and Anri. But the former trio seems to be Shizuo, Izaya, and Shinra. And hhhmm . . . the former trio seems to be a crazier combination compare to the current one. It's not even harmonious, hahaha!
Shinra was epic enough to get along with these two extremes, who turn out to hate each other to bits. And Shinra sure is something to manage to put this two in close quarters and even under one roof, without getting himself killed. Haha!
Shizuo sees Shinra as some idiot but I think he does consider him as a friend. Izaya, on the other hand, ....I doubt that psycho has true concerns for anybody (in other words, I doubt he has cared for anyone like a true friend). But him and Shinra had been close enough that Izaya hangs out at his place, even if he was just there to boss Shinra around (nail cleaning service, haha!). I find it amazing that Shinra dares to call Izaya an asshole . . . and Izaya just goes "butthurt", hahaha!
Whether Izaya does see Shinra as a friend or not, and even if Shizuo and Izaya are like oil and water, this trio can actually be together as long as Shinra's there in the middle. Shinra's certainly incredibly for being able to handle these two. (Though it's pretty creepy that he actually SMILES during the times when these two try to kill each other) Don't underestimate mad doctors!!!! Hehe~

[ THEY ARE SO MEANT TO BE ]

Now on these two . . . they are so special. They are Romeo and Juliet in an opposite way, because instead of love at first sight, it was hate at first sight xD Haha!
These two are so like kids. One of them always running after the other. For some reason, as long as they're in the same city, there will always be chances of Shizuo spotting Izaya like he has some sort of Izaya radar. Come on, Ikebukuro can't be that small for these two to come across each other that often. All their encounters can't be just "coincidences". It's destiny. Whether it's romance or hatred or what, they're so mean tot be. Bwahahahaha!
Back to the Romeo and Juliet stuff . . . I remember Romeo calling out Juliet's name so freakin' often . . . and just how freakin' often have we been hearng Shizuo go "IIIIIIIIIZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!' Bwahahhaahahaha!
Oh I freakin' love these two. Their chemistry's so . . .INSANE!!! Hahahaha!

[ HORSIE LOVE ]

Okayz, more crack. As if I wouldn't miss this part! It's so adorable~ *loves horses* Yay for petting horsies~

[ PROMOTING MILK ]

This is the second time we see characters drinking milk. Hahahaha! Our main characters love 'em~ If the other episodes show main characters drinking milk as well, no doubt about it anymore! DRRR!!'s promoting the healthiness in drinking milk. Haha!

[ NATURAL HAIR ]

Ah, something I am so relieved to see in this series that a lot of anime tend to neglect: the Asian Natural hair color. Japanese people aren't born blonde, or redhead, or nor will they ever have blue or pink hair! Asians go either black or dark brown. If their color is something else, then there's a simple explanation for it: hair dye. Like in real life.
Shizuo's awesome in either of his hair colors. Kida dyed his hair too, and the same goes for the anime original girl. I'm so relieved that Izaya didn't think of doing the same. He really looks better in black. Black is his color. But it's amusing to see him in pink though (yay for 2nd dvd cover!)

[ DEBT COLLECTING IS TOUGH ]

Okayz, some serious stuff. I can't blame Shizuo for being pissed off at those he's collecting debt from. They're a bunch of buttheads. First we have this guy wasting his money on a slut yet he still claims it was for love. Oh if she loved him then he doesn't need such money to be with her. And then there are kids who care nothing about the world as they focus their time on video games. They're a bunch of rude brats too. So uesless to society.
It's sad that many people who have a lot of debts in real life are usually this miserable. Not all people who have a lot of debts just borrow money for leisure, but there are more that do . . . and it really must've been fun to kick their ass . . . or in Shizuo's case . . . just throw them in the air! Hahahaha!

[ NEXT EPISODE ]

It looks like many of the main cast will be in next episode, YAY!
And I love the Walker + Erika dancing~ I hope they're canon. THey're so like Baccano's Isaac and Miria (they had a poster in episode 7. I forgot which part), except that they're less stupid and more creepy. Hehe~
It looks like it's gonna be fun and serious at the same time. Angry Shinra . . . ooooo . . . first time we see him go like that in the anime!