My Problems with Sex in Shonen and Seinen Manga/Anime

NOTE: Don't take this post too seriously. Though it isn't a joke.

I really don't like sex to be in shonen and seinin manga. Heck, I don't like it in pretty much all media that has a story to it, but for this post I'm going to focus on shonen and seinen manga. Also, since this is a pretty touchy subject, I'm going to try to keep this pretty concise.

So, here's my problem: I hate the way sex in used in shonen and seinen manga. And here are the reasons why:

My main problem comes from the fact that sex is always used to simply make a male character look more manly. Now, often this doesn't involve the main protagonist, but that doesn't change the fact that I hate when its done, as it is still a weak and stupid way to portray a man's "manliness". Sex determining "maniliess" is for the animal kingdom, not humans who have the ability to see the "cheapness" of the way sex is portrayed. One of the first examples of this I came across was in Eyeshield 21 with the character of Agon being introduced before the game between the Devil Bats and the Nagas; he's introduced on a bed getting dressed while a girl in a towel is cleaning up int he bathroom. Agon is also constantly portrayed flirting with many, many women throughout the series; all of them falling for him without a second thought. This leads to my second problem ....

Sex in shonen and seinen manga demeans women a great deal. Almost 100% of the time, we don't know who the woman/women are, and they are present simply for the male character to have sex with and nothing else; usually just getting tossed away right afterwards. It shows that the male character(s), as well as the mangaka, simple see the women as sex objects and nothing more. It comes across as childish and just a really weak way of telling a story; even if the tone of the story is dark. Even when a manga/anime's tone isn't dark, this type of action where women are basically seen as objects so a man can look more manly can be found in acts that aren't sex; most often, it's seen through the sexual harassment of female characters, often main female characters; this can be seen a lot in the manga/anime Fairy Tail and Rave Master.

On the subject of the women, this leads to the next point: sex in shonen and seinen manga/anime is never consensual. The woman is either being used by the man for sex, being raped, being forced into the act due to being a servant, or simply being a slut. All of these situations don't create any type of situation I would find necessary for a story or being good for character development. It's just smut, and smut's only place is in porn.

Now let's flip the coin, where we have extremely promiscuous women. The most recent that come to mind are Panty from "Panty & Stocking" and Zero from the soon-to-be-released "Drakenguard 3". These types of characters do nothing for story or character development; they are simply sluts. Why have such a character? To prove a point? With Zero, I can see the developers try to create a dark and depressing story for the character of Zero, but it will still feel unnecessary to me. And the reason for that is ...

Sex in shonen and seinen is unnecessary. Sex never brings about character development, even when dealing with adult characters or dark tones; it's always done simply to portray a male character as "manly" or a female character as "slutty", or create a dark tone or atmosphere. Such things can be done in much better ways through actual story telling and use of dialogue and actions, as shown by the many great manga which have no such elements of sex. As a result, I can only see the existence of sex in shonen and seinen manga to be for the factor of fanservice and smut; that's what it ultimately be viewed as, either that or simply to create a terrible feeling of dread in the reader/watcher, and if that was the case, there are far better ways of doing that.

And, I suppose that's where I end this. I realize this may sound hypocritical since I enjoy several fanservice series. But fanservice does not equal sex. To me, sex is a level that is reserved only for porn; it has no place in good story telling. Though, I will say that several series come close to crossing the line between fanservice and sex, such as the aforementioned Fairy Tail. Now, I realize this is a rather fickle subject to talk about, as I avoid series that have such sexual content, and there are far more series that don't have sexual content than one's that do. Perhaps that's why I get so worked up when I see such series, especially when they gain such popularity. Though I can see where the smut factor comes into place there.

::sigh::, I know, I know; this was a stupid post, but I've just been seeing too much smut lately. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm rewatching Nichijou.

The After-Effects of Watching the Gurren Laggan Movie

So, I watched the first Gurren Laggan movie, and I didn't like it, at all. Previous to me wathcing this movie, I had a generally positive opinion of Gurren Laggan. I had watched around 10 episodes of the anime, and seen some of the latter action in spurts, and my opinion then was: I may not like the characters, but the action is amazing, and this may be the best looking anime out there. However, after watching the first GL movie, I've come to realize some things about the series and the animation studio, as well as come to experience and appreciate other series.

First, I'll say what I think of GL and Gainax (specifically, director Hiroyuki Imaishi) after watching the movie. Basically, I have come to have almost zero interest in this series, and where I used to really appreciate and anticipate works from Gainax, and now Trigger, I know have much less appreciation, and, dare I say, respect for the studio. While a lot of this harsh criticism comes from how intense the fanboyism of this series is (including my own brother), most comes from the series content. First of all, and most importantly, the characters of GL are terrible, just terrible. Simon is boring and his story couldn't feel more by-the-books, Kamina is an unlikable idiot who may talk big, but rarely ever backs up his grand words with actions. Yoko might as well be named "Girl", as she does nothing but what a child would expect a girl to do in a manly story like GL, stand around, be sexy, and become the hero's girlfriend. Nia is only present to be a plot device as well as be a girlfriend for Simon. And the supporting cast is forgettable, however, I'd say a few of them are more likable than the main cast.

Now, the reason I bring up the characters is because they are the main reason for me not liking what everyone loves about GL: the over-the-top action. I've realized something after watching the GL movie, and that is that action, no matter how intense or "big", completely lacks impact if the characters behind those actions are terrible. And, I've come to realize that this is a big reason why I don't like any of Gainax's works, because I simply don't like the characters. And, well, that's that. There are other reasons I really didn't like GL, such as the poorly executed setting, poorly developed villains, and the over-excessiveness of "manly" visuals (I hate that Dai-Gurren's bow is basically a giant penis). But, honestly, its the poor characters that always stick out the most to me.

And, after I realized that, I'd come to another realization: the only reason I wanted to like GL so much, even after disliking it before, was because of all the hype around the anime, and the fact that it was in a genre I really liked and the animation style was unique. It was this pressure that made me feel like I had to like anime. And that's why I watched the GL movie. However, after watching the movie I came to many realizations:

1) Gurren Laggan is basically trying to be Getter Robo (the 90s OVAs to be specific), and failing hard at it. Getter Robo has much better characters, a much better realized setting, and the visual style has much more "oomph" thanks to the strong manga-like animation. The action in Getter Robo is also much better thanks to the great characters backing up that action. Still, I think it's a shame things turned out the way they did in GL, as Imaishi is a fan of Getter Robo, and GL was to be his homage to the series.

2) Gainax's animation isn't nearly as impressive as it once was; mainly due to the Getter Robo OVAs looking much better, and they were made long before GL. I will admit that the first 5-minute sequence of the GL movie was beautiful, and I wish the whole movie looked like that, but alas it didn't. And, that's another thing, I've noticed that GL really only looks good at certain parts, specifically, the action scenes, but other anime like Shin Getter Robo Armageddon, Nichijou, Madoka Magica, and Katanagatari look great throughout their entire lengths rather than at certain scenes. The bottom-line is that I gave Gainax far too much credit before. Their work can still be impressive at times, but its really not that impressive.

3) Gurren Laggan is a poor coming-of-age story. It even pales in comparison to FLCL, which was a decent coming-of-age story, even if it has far too much innuendo. However, I've experienced far, far superior coming-of-age stories before, specifically the manga Eyeshield 21, which I've been re-reading lately. After reading Eyehshield 21 again, I've come to realize how poor GL's writing is, and that if Gainax would stop trying to be so over-the-top and immature about their stories, they could actually tell some good ones.

All-in-all, watching the GL movie has come to make me appreciate what I had before, and that I really don't need to like Gurren Laggan despite what my friends, family, and the internet have to say. Because, I simply don't like it, for many reasons, and I have much, much better alternatives to GL, such as Getter Robo, Astro Boy, Eyeshield 21, and One Piece. Gainax used to hold a special place in my heart when it came to anime, despite me not really liking any of their series; it stood upon a pedestal that it could not be moved from, but no longer. And I'm happy about that, as it's allowed me to place other manga and anime upon that pedestal position it once held, and thus allowed me appreciate the strengths of other anime and manga, specifically, Shin Getter Robo Armageddon, which is a series that I really didn't appreciate enough.

My Anime Wrap-Up for the Winter 2013 Season

Girls und Panzer - I'll start off with the best. GuP has become one of my favorite anime of all time. It is superbly paced, has great animation, and witty dialogue. This anime's quality really took me by surprise. GuP, in my eyes, is basically a combination of Eyeshield 21 and Strike Witches, as it combines the action execution of the best sports manga where, both the planning and execution are equally intense, with the diverse characters and interaction there-of of Strike Witches. Perhaps what was most impressive is the pacing of the series, as the anime manages to develop much of the cast and create a great sense of tension and satisfaction within all of the battles, all within the span of 12 episodes. I really, really hope this anime will get a second season, as the amazing characters and battles really need to be seen more.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency - The first word that comes to me when asked to describe Jojo is ... interesting. I actually use the same word to describe One Piece. And I believe that's what attracts me so much to Jojo. You never really know what's going to happen next. It all plays out in a classic shonen execution while all being stylishly animated. It's a great time, and I look forward to more. I'll also say that the OP for this season of Jojo is perhaps my favorite anime OP ever; I watch it every time.

Vividred Operation - While not terrible, this series was a huge disappointment. The main problem with the series is that it lacks focus. There are times when it looks to be a light-hearted magical-girl anime, while other times it wants to tell a serious, sometimes dark, story. If the anime had stuck to one of these routes, it probably would've been a lot better. What was good, though, were the characters. Most of the cast was pretty great, and more interactions between the cast would've been appreciated. Overall, it was disappointing; perhaps not because the actual content was mostly mediocre, but because the series' potential really shined through all the mediocrity.

Sasami-san@Ganbarai - This was a decent series. Honestly, I'm confused on a lot of the overarching plot, but there were many nice moments throughout the series. The best aspect of the series was the characters interaction, and since I'm a huge fan of good character interaction, it kept me watching the series, even if I didn't always understand it, heh.

Senran Kagura - It was OK. As a fan of the games and manga, I was pretty hyped for this anime. And, what I continue to say to myself whenever questioning the anime's quality is: it gets good at episode 5. From episode 5 to 12, this anime is actually pretty good and does nearly everything I wanted it to. The disappointment comes from the fact that the first four episodes could've been used to solve several of the anime's biggest flaws, such as developing certain characters who didn't get enough, specifically Ikaruga, Katsuragi, and the Hebi girls. A second season could be good, but I'd be wary of the quality.

Overall, there have been better seasons, but it was a nice laid-back season. I'm really happy to have seen Girls und Panzer, and I know that just because the Strike Witches team is working on a new anime, that doesn't mean it will be great, heh.

Rating the Queen's Blade Characters - Part 4

I've been getting less and less concise with these ratings, and I apologize for that. Heh, maybe I should've went with a single post for each character; after all, there was a lot I never got to about Tomoe's shame guidelines, Nyx's bipolarism, and other quirks about other characters. Oh well.

Well, this is the final part for this rating, and I'm ending with four of my favorite characters: the two master-student teams of QB ....

Echidna
Story (10/10) - Echidna's story covers all of the bases. Her origin as a Dark Elf showed us that there were other elves besides the type that Alleyne and Nowa originate from. Her age is 500, and a lot of her interaction with Leina, Alleyne, Irma, and Nowa is effected by her knowledge and long lifespan. She was once the leader of the Fang Assassins under, until she left after seeing how corrupt Aldra was becoming. She raised and trained Irma from a young age until they became especially close, and most likely had a relationship. And, she was a close friend of Maria, Leina's mother, and was even asked by Maria to watch over Leina if anything should happen to her; which, in turn, leads to Echidna's master-student relationship with Leina in the first season. All of these facets of Echidna's past help forge an interesting character in herself, as well as help the QB world grow, and establish interesting relationships with those around her. Echidna's personality is also very colorful and interesting. Most of the time, Echidna is a flirtatious woman who loves freedom, relaxation, and women; however, her instincts as a teacher must have never worn off, as she is consistently giving knowledgeable advice to much of the cast, especially Leina and Irma. She is also a supreme warrior and among the strongest in the QB world; she has shown quite the bloodlust and cunning in battle when the needs come. As far as her story arc goes, Echidna doesn't really change, as she is already fully developed, and she mostly acts as a catalyst for the growth of other characters, such as Leina and Irma; luckily, her role in their character arcs is crucial and quite interesting, thus making Echidna feel much more like a central story character despite not having too much growth herself. In the end, Echidna is an essential part of the QB world in so many ways, and yet never feels like a tool within the story, rather she is just a really interesting character who is so important to so many facets of the QB world and characters that she just exudes personality and interest.

Design (10/10) - Echidna has an obvious snake theme, and the way it is executed in her design is excellent. Her green color scheme, scaled armor, Gorgon-head shield, curved sword, snake necklace, and, of course, Kiruta, her beloved pet and underwear. The fact that elves don't wear underwear is a fun ongoing theme in the QB world, and the way Echidna deals with it is having a snake for panties. Brilliant! Her design is made even better in the anime thanks to Rin-Sin's superb "sharpening" of F.S.'s original design. The more sharp and elongated eyes of her anime design are definitely the best change, as it gives Echidna a much more mature look, which coincides with her "master" role in the story much better than her more wide eyes in her combat book. Overall, a design that is not only flawless, but very interesting.

Overall (10/10) - If it wasn't obivous, Echidna is my favorite character in the QB cast. Her flirtatious attitude towards Leina, Irma, and Nowa in the anime, as well as Tomoe and other women in the manga make for a fun "flirtatious lesbian" character. However, Echidna goes beyond just being the flirtatious woman, and has a great past history to her, as well as very interesting interactions with a lot of the QB cast. Quite simply an amazing character.

Alleyne
Story (10/10) - Alleyne's story is a very interesting one in that it is a very focused story. Similar to the plight between Leina and Claudette; Alleyne's story is one of internal plight dealing primarily with her student Nowa. Alleyne is 1000 years old, and in those 100 years has lived the life of a legendary combat instructor and guardian of the elf forest. In these 1000 years of life, Alleyne has never found love, such is why Echidna, a former rival, teases her by calling her "the 1000 year-old virgin". However, Alleyne has recently found love in her student Nowa; however, Alleyne doesn't know if it is truly love, and if it is, how to even deal with these feelings. This internal plight doesn't dominate Alleyne's story arc, but it is a central of both her story arc as well as Nowa's. This internal plight is also spearheaded and catalyzed by Alleyne's interactions with Echidna and Nowa, and reflected in Echidna and Irma's own much-closer master-student relationship. What makes Alleyne's story arc so interesting is how it is equal parts an inner struggle as well as one catalyzed by the characters around her. And, like Echidna, Alleyne is made more interesting thanks to her "master" relationship with her student, Nowa. Her character arc also has one of the most satisfying conclusions in the cast.

Design (10/10) - Like Nyx, Alleyne has a very bold character design. Her green, red, and white color scheme works superbly well, and her strong physique shows her strength well. The ornamentation of her gloves, breast-plate, leggings, and belt are very intricate and add to the "refined" and natural (as in forest) look that Alleyne has. Her bright red hat and cape give her facial area a very bold look, and also help accentuate her movements in battle. Rounding out her superb design is her long, flowing platinum-blonde hair, which is not only really pretty to look at, but accentuates her movements even more than her cape does. Her weapon is also simple yet cool in the bo staff; adding even more to her "nature" look. An intricate and superb design all-around.

Overall (10/10) - Alleyne, like Echidna, exudes a lot of personality and intricicies in her story; albeit in a very different way to Echidna, but that's why the two character interacy so often, because they are so different in personality, yet so similar in terms of story arc. The presence that Alleyne, and Echidna, exude as part of the QB world as well as their own internal plights really makes both characters stand out as icons of the QB world, even if they aren't main characters.

Nowa
Story (6/10) - Nowa is basically the typical shonen hero. She has a tragic past as a half-human  half-elf who was cast out by both peoples, but raised by a loving master in Alleyne. She isn't very strong, but hopes to become very strong in order to protect what she cares about. She desires freedom and adventure in order to have experiences in order to obtain the strength she desires. However, her last wish isn't granted to her until the end of her story arc. It's in that fact that makes Nowa rather interesting. Nowa is strong, but she's naive, and as such Alleyne, her mentor, doesn't want to let her go on her own. This leads to the question of Nowa's character arc: is it right for Nowa to remain Alleyne's student, or is her being a student holding her back from obtaining the strength she desires? It's in this question that Nowa becomes a bit more interesting than her story stereotypes lets on. While Nowa does grow a little throughout her story arc, it isn't very much, and, unfortunately, much of her growth as a warrior will probably never be known, as she doesn't set out on an adventure outside of Alleyne's tutelage until her ending. It's a good ending for Nowa, but a poor one for us. Regardless, Nowa is a fun and cute character who has some fire in her eyes. It would've been quite interesting if Nowa was the main character of Rebellion.

Design (5/10) - With the exception of a nice, bright orange color scheme, Nowa's design is quite boring. She doesn't wear much, and while it does go along with her "wild girl" look, it doesn't really do much for her design. Ru is an interesting addition, as Nowa is one of the few characters with a companion, but he can only do so much. Nowa's bo staff has a nice design to it, and is reminiscent of the nyo-bo used by Son Goku in the Journey to the West legends. Other than that, not much to say about Nowa.

Overall (6/10) - Nowa is a character that gets a lot of points for her cute look and innocent love for Alleyne. She has a decent story, good character growth, and some nice character interaction with other cast members, especially Alleyne, but "interesting" is not the word to really describe Nowa, as a lot of her interactions and growth is part of the typical shonen lead formula.

Irma
Story (7/10) - Irma's story is a straight-forward revenge scenario where a pillage initiated by Aldra results in the death of her brother. After being rescued by Echidna, Irma is trained by her to become a powerful assassin. Like Alleyne, Irma's interesting character features come from her interaction with a single other character, in this case being Echidna. Echidna was once Irma's master and perhaps lover at some point; regardless of the type of relationship, they were very close. When Echidna left the Fang Assassins, she wanted Irma to come with her, but Irma refused due to being set on assassinating Aldra. Irma took Echidna leaving as a betrayal of their relationship, and thus came to outwardly hate Echidna, though deep inside she still loved her. The rest of Irma's story arc comes simply from her contemplating the path she's chosen, and what the right choice would be: revenge or happiness. Her constant interactions with Echidna throughout her story arc only add fuel to the flame that is her muddled mind. It makes for a cliche, but still interesting story arc for Irma. In the end, Irma learns the hard way that revenge isn't always the best choice, but even through the rough patch, find her happy ending with Echidna. A satisfying conclusion to a good story arc.

Design (6/10) - Irma's armor is that of the Fang Assassins, thus it has a very formal look to it. While Echidna had a snake theme, Irma has a cat theme, and while it is only relevant in her face, her piercing eyes and short blue hair help give her a nice look. She also uses two short swords as her weapons, which, for some reason, look pretty cool; perhaps they work well with her "metal" color scheme. In the end, Irma's design is a bit too one-toned, but her charming face and strong body help keep her out of mediocrity.

Overall (6.5/10) - Irma doesn't stand particularly well on her own, both in terms of design and story, but when Echidna is involved, she becomes a much more interesting character. Because of this, she can only be so great on her own. Regardless, Irma's interaction with Echidna is one of the highlights of the second season, and she still has a very charming face.

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So that's it for the cast of the first series of Queen's Blade. I may do some other ratings or rankings for the QB cast, such as best couples or best fights. I'm going to hold off on doing ratings for the Rebellion cast until the story comes to a close with the second season of the Rebellion anime and the official ends get released in a Complete Visual Book.

Rating the Queen's Blade Characters - Part 3

I'll apologize now about how these posts aren't that well written. I'm trying to be pretty consice in the entries, but sometimes I ramble on anyway, heh. So, with that said, let's move on to the villains of the series ...

Melona

Story (5/10) - Despite being one of the major antagonists in the QB story, Melona doesn't do much other than, well, antagonize the protagonists. She is a shape-shifter under the command of the Marshland Witch, though she tends to simply do as she wishes, its just that it happens to line up with what the Marshland Witch wants. Melona gets some extra points for having a fun personality, and the way her personality clashes with her sister-in-arms Airi is always funny to watch. In the end, Melona is simply an antagonist, but she's a pretty fun one; often joking around and being happy-go-lucky, though she isn't opposed to being serious when she needs to be. 

Design (8/10) - Melona's design very charismatic and unique. Her bunny ears, clover-shaped irises, the way her hair holds her breasts, and her intensely pink color scheme all make for a simply yet interesting design. What I like most about Melona's design, especially in the anime, is how her main draw is her cute face. Her large eyes, blush marks, large lips, and pink hair and bunny ears really draw attention to a small area, and that's something very unique to Melona within the large cast. 

Overall (7/10) - There may be nothing too compelling about Melona, but she's still a very fun character, and has a unique design. Her interactions with all of the characters, especially Leina, Menace, and Airi, are the real treat of her character.

Menace
Story (5/10) - Menace's story is one of a child who never grew up. Menace once ruled a kingdom, but it fell in a coup that came as a result of her poor leadership. The story isn't bad, as it shows her character flaws and the realistic turnabouts there-of; however, it's a shame that Menace's character never really evolves past what she once was. She still acts childish, she still desires to be spoiled rotten, and feels that what she desires should always be given to her as her right as a princess, even if the Amaran kingdom is gone. So while her backstory may be kinda interesting, having Menace be a static character throughout the series is pretty disappointing. In terms of personality, Menace can be fun at times, though is often overshadowed by the more fun Melona. The little details, such as her powers, martial arts capabilities, and tragic relationship with her most trusted maid, do help Melona from being completely boring, but there simply isn't much to Menace at all within the confines of the QB story involving the tournament. Sure, she is the one Marshland Witch soldier who isn't loyal to the Witch herself, but there are no repercussions of her lack of loyalty, so it doesn't make for interesting conflict. Overall, a character with potential that is never really lived up to.

Design (6/10) - Menace doesn't wear much clothing, but not in a good way like Claudette or Echidna; rather, her design feels as if it should have more clothing and ornamentation, but all she has of note are an ornamental crown and breast-plate. It makes for a design that feels incomplete. A positive point about her design is that, similar to Melona, her design draws attention to her face with large eyes, shiny hair, ornamental crown and earrings, and an ornamental breast-plate. Overall, a decent design from the chest and up, but one that feels incomplete when taken as a whole.

Overall (5.5/10) - Menace makes for some interesting scenes, but is often overshadowed by her fellow sisters-in-arms and doesn't present enough growth as a character to be considered interesting beyond her OK backstory.

Airi

Story (9/10) - Airi's story is one of the highlights of the anime. While in the manga and online story, Airi is simply just the Marshland Witch's most loyal soldier, the anime took the character into a more complex role as a dedicated warrior, a monster, and an "onee-san"; ultimately, having her choose her side between her new friends found in Rana's family, or stay loyal to the Marshland Witch. What made Airi's story arc so interesting was that it was never clear as to what side she would ultimately choose, thus making the end of her story arc pretty satisfying, as it had been something quietly anticipated. There isn't much to Airi's past, but her relationship with her fellow sisters-in-arms is always interesting to watch, as she is definitely the most strict of them all, and her relationship with Rana was both surprising and interesting to see unfold. Overall, one of the most interesting side characters.

Design (5/10) - She's a twin-tailed ghost girl in a maid costume who uses a scythe. There's nothing bad about it, but nothing great either. One of the more boring designs in the series.

Overall (8/10) - Airi was a great character thanks to her changing from simply an antagonist to a heartfelt character; her story arc became one of the more interesting elements of the second season, and her ghostly powers also made her pretty interesting to witness in battles. 

Nyx
Story (9/10) - Nyx is by all means a background character, but she has the complexity that a main character would have in a Lovecraftian novel. Nyx is a tragic character. She is a young woman with a good heart, but lacks strength and confidence; so when she is given the power of a demon from the "living staff" Funikura, so begins the tragic story of Nyx. What makes Nyx so interesting is how doesn't necessarily like using Funikura, as the staff constricts her body whenever she shows any weakness, but she continues to use Funikura and refuses to let him go because she never wants to be weak again. The end result is a tragic relationship between Nyx and Funikura. This tragic story continues as several characters try to convince Nyx to throw away Funikura, but she can't bring herself to do it. Then there's Nyx's antagonizing relationship with Elina, whom she hates immensely. Elina and her family are the reason Nyx is in the position she's in, and after seeing Nyx's past, Nyx's actions feel much more logical. In the end, what makes Nyx such a compelling character is how she's one of the nicest people in the series, and that she could easily find happiness if she were to meet the right people, but because of her fear and lack of confidence, she is a slave to her insecurities and, as a result, Funikura. I could go on about Nyx's great portrayal in the manga, but I'll end by pointing out the one weakness of Nyx's character portrayal: the obvious parody of hentai tentacle rape that her character represents (heck, the character designer behind La Blue Girl did her design), and even though the anime throws it in the viewers face a lot, it rarely makes me forget how good of a character Nyx is.

Design (10/10) - Nyx has one of the best designs in the series, and is one of the few characters who looks better in her combat book than in the anime (though her anime design is excellent as well). Her dress is revealing, but bold thanks to the bright red color and her arm ornaments. Her long, brown hair is striking, and her bright green eyes and delightful smirk help give her face a lot of personality. Funikura itself has a great design as well, being a mass of tentacles with an eerie, bright red eye; and the way it coils around Nyx helps give them both a strong presence. And that's Nyx's greatest strength: her visual presence, which is truly excellent on all fronts.

Overall (9.5/10) - Despite Nyx's sometimes annoying portrayal in the anime, she is a superb character that shows a dark side of character execution often reserved for more Lovecraftian tales. The only downside to Nyx's story is that it's never given true closure.

Nanael
Story (7/10) - Like Elina, you either love or hate Nanael. But, also like Elina, her presence in the series cannot be denied. Nanael is often the comic relief of the series, and basically always cares about herself. She doesn't really have a character arc until her final episode, but her character is rarely boring thanks to the many emotions she displays throughout the series. Her relationship with Melpha is a strange one, as Nanael is mainly a freeloader taking advantage of Melpha's piety, but Melpha doesn't necessarily mind, so whether this relationship is hurting anyone or not, is a matter of opinion. The climax of their relationship in the fifth OVA episode is pretty satisfying, as it helps both of their character arcs come to a good ending. While it may sound biased, I find Nanael's hate for women and love for men to be a little detrimental to her character, mainly because it feels like the creator's only implemented this facet of her character due to nearly every other character has yuri subtext as part of their character, so they needed a "straight" character. Nanael constantly states how she hates women and how she wants to become super powerful so that she can create a male harem (which she does for a short period of time); it just feels a little forced, imo, rather than a natural type of attraction, like Echidna's lust for women feels. Then again, Nanael is pretty young and reckless, so perhaps it is wrong to hold such traits against her. Plus, her backstory may hold some reason as to why she acts the way she does towards other women; through its never stated. Speaking of which, Nanael's backstory as an angel trying to prove herself until she gets fed up with it, is rather interesting and humorous. She also has a very nice conclusion to her character arc alongside Melpha. In the end, Nanael is a fun character, even if she can be annoying at times.

Design (8/10) - Nanael's design may seem simple at first glance due to almost all-white color scheme, but it hides some interesting little details; the most striking being her different-sized wings. Then there are her different gloves, her heart barret, and floating sword weapon. It's almost as if Nanael's design revolves around being unsymmetrical, and the end result is a design that's pleasant to the eyes at first glance, but holds lots of nice small details. Also, her polka-dot panties have almost become a symbol within QB.

Overall (7.5/10) - Nanael's personality may be hit-or-miss, but it definitely stands out within the cast for many reasons. She definitely brings an energy to the scene within both the anime and manga; Aya Hirano's voice definitely helps.

Melpha

Story (6/10) - Melpha has very little to do with the main story of QB, but she brings some good character interaction as well as some decent world building for the QB world. Melpha is a very good-hearted character, and as such, Melpha's interactions with other characters, who are often more flawed, is rather charming. Her interactions with Nanael, one of the more devious characters in the cast, are some of the more interesting exchanges among the cast, and how she brings Nanael to be a more well-mannered person shows the strength of her charm. She also helps bring about Tomoe's central conflict in the second season. However, the most memorable of Melpha's character quirks are the Holy Poses. I find the holy poses to be pretty interesting, as they help establish the strange church culture in the QB world, as well as bring out an interesting execution of fanservice. In the end, Melpha is an interesting character, as she shows the strange practices of the church in the QB world, as well as bring a pacifist personality to the cast (Tomoe's pacifism is a bit darker). 

Design (8/10) - Melpha's design is a beautiful one. Her bright color scheme helps establish her pacifist nature, as well as provide a humorous visual foil to her holy pose techniques. Melpha's voluptuous body helps establish that she is an adult woman, as opposed to many other young girls in the cast, as well as make her blushing face when performing holy poses more cute. The only flaw of her design is her mace weapon, which is very disappointing visually. It's a shame she couldn't have had a more interesting weapon. Regardless, Melpha has a very charming design overall that matches her personality very well. 

Overall (7/10) - Melpha brings about a soft personality unique to herself within the QB cast, some unique world building, and a design that is very charming. Furthermore, her holy pose techniques have helped make her a legendary fanservice factor within the series. 

Rating the Queen's Blade Characters - Part 2

Just to make a note: for this series of posts, I'm rating the character solely on their roles in the original Queen's Blade story, heir Rebellion roles will be rated later on with the other Rebellion characters. Also, my "overall" score is not an average of the first two scores; it's simply my choice for the overall rating, because sometimes little things matter. And with that said, let's begin with one of my personal favorite characters ...

Risty
- Story (6/10) - Most of Risty's story is told simply by her appearance and title: she is a bandit of the wilderness outside the confines of the small kingdoms spread throughout the continent; to put it simply, Risty is the Robin Hood of the QB world. However, what keeps Risty from feeling like the generic Robin Hood character found in many stories is her humanity. Risty's money is given to an old church that takes in orphans from the conflicts that occur throughout the continent, Risty once being one of them, and she truly cares about these kids and will go to great lengths to protect them, even attempting to take on the Queen outside of the tournament. She also has a large group of fellow bandits who look up to her as a great leader. Risty's psuedo-friendship with Leina which switched between master-student, friend, and "bad friend" was always interesting too see evolve. Furthermore, Risty is one of the strongest fighters in the QB world, thus making her Leina's "goal" a satisfying story element. What wasn't so satisfying, however, was the anime mainly using Risty as a plot device more than an actual character, this is especially the case in the second season where Risty is brainwashed for 95% of the story; well, despite that it was a cliche story tactic, brainwashed Risty did bring about some interesting story elements so I can't criticize it too much. In the end, Risty is a character that didn't get the spotlight much, but her presence as Leina's ultimate goal and the anti-hero to Leina's heroine role made her a likable character.

- Design (8/10) - Risty's design was the first done by Eiwa for the QB character line-up, and while it can be a bit plain, she still has a strong presence due to one critical element: her body. Risty is one of several characters whose body is more the main draw of her design than her armor/clothes. First to note is Risty's wild red hair, which goes a long way to giving her that "amazon warrior" look, and working even more towards the amazon look is Risty's very well-sculpted body. Perhaps second only to Cattleya, Risty is the most, for lack of a better term, "ripped" of the QB cast (this can be seen more in Eiwa's original art than Rin-Sin's more slender design). Risty's red color scheme and morning star weapon round out the package to give her a strong presence. A simple yet effective design.

- Overall (7/10) - Risty may not be the most memorable character in the cast, but when she's on screen, she demands attention.

Ymir

- Story (5/10) - Ymir's story has a fair amount of details: she's the princess of the dwarven kingdom, her goal is to show the world that dwarven weapons are stronger than those made by the newly rising alchemy methods, she finds a rival in Cattleya, and she's much older than she actually looks. The end result is a character that may not have much bearing on the story, but does a lot to show what the world of QB is like and that it's filled with more than just humans. Ymir acts as a benefactor to Leina in the second season by giving her good advice and reforging her sword. The highlight of Ymir is easily her personality and her interactions with Leina, Cattleya, and Rana. You'll either find Ymir to be amusing or annoying; I personally love Ymir's personality. She may not be the most important character to tell, but in an alternate universe, Ymir could have been the main character of QB, on a journey to save her people and show the strength of her weapons.

- Design (7/10) - I'm not sure what Ymir's clothing is supposed to be: a maid costume, maybe? But the pink and white color scheme works very will with her platinum-blonde hair, so no complaints there. The standout factor of Ymir's design is easily her weapon and massive gauntlet. A small-bodied person using a large weapon is always cool, and Ymir makes it even cooler. Her giant red axe gives Ymir a strong presence and her huge gauntlet is just awesome looking. Ymir's design really stands out in the anime during her fight scenes; Ymir in motion looks great. However, I feel that Ymir's weapon has more presence than she, herself, does, and thus can't rate her design to high. 

- Overall (7/10) - Ymir gets a boost in score mainly due to her personality. In the anime, the manga, even the online chapters, Ymir always stands out thanks to the humor she provide; resulting in a very charming character despite having some flaws.

Cattleya

- Story (5/10) - Like Ymir, Cattelya's story doesn't have much bearing on the story at all, but the little details of her story help bring the QB world into a brighter light. Cattelya was once a famous adventurer who traveled the world with her future husband, Owen. They were known as the "dragon slayers", and Cattleya alongside her giant sword became legends, until both Cattleya and Owen retired to become blacksmiths and raise their son, Rana. In an episode of the anime, Leina, in a flashback, can be seen reading a book chronicling Cattleya's adventures. It's this presence as a legend from a time long past that gives Cattleya a strong bearing in Leina's story when they meet each other. To Leina, Cattleya represents what she can become one day, as both a strong warrior and a knowledgeable person. So, while Cattelya may not have much bearing on the main story, she still has a notable presence within it. My favorite aspect of Cattelya is that she is perhaps the strongest fighter in the QB world, but because she chooses to fight with Rana, it gives her a handicap and significantly lowers her strength as a fighter; I love that detail.

- Design (6/10) - Surprised my Cattleya pic doesn't feature her massive breasts? Well that's because I find it a bit disheartening that her character has become known for just her breasts; though I can understand why considering her design doesn't have much else going for it. After all, did you recognize Cattleya right away when looking at the above pic? Anyway, Cattelya's design is meant to be a big hyperbolic symbol of motherhood: she wears an apron (with almost nothing underneath), her large breasts, she's kinda chubby, and she fights alongside her son, Rana. Cattleya's huge sword does make her look pretty cool, and the fact that Rana is just as much part of her as her sword is makes for an interesting character visually, especially in battle. Still, Cattleya's design is rather uninteresting; there's just nothing that really stands out other than her curves, which is a shame. Also, to note, I find Rin-Sin's more slender looking Cattleya design to be better than her original in the combat book.

- Overall (5/10) - Cattleya will always have a place in the QB world, whether its in her in-world legacy or her physique, but none of that really changes that her character and personality don't standout much at all. 

Rana
- Story (7/10) - So, why am I rating Rana alongside the other QB characters? Because, in the anime, this little kid was great! Right from the start, Rana acted as a catalyst for Cattelya's decisions as well as a strong moral supporter to his mother. Then in the second season, Rana came into his own as a strong little boy who stood alongside his mother in her time of grief and befriended an enemy. Rana, himself, showed some great character growth by showing a lot of courage in the dangerous world around him (pic related), and even fighting for his loved ones. Rana may have been more of a catalyst for certain plot elements, but his presence in the story was definitely known; something some of the other bitoushi cannot even say.

- Design (6/10) - He's adorable. He may not have much more going for him other than that, but it's definitely enough.

- Overall (6/10) - He may not have weapon or defeated any big foe, but he did a lot for Cattleya and Airi within the story, and the end result was a very likable character, even more-so than his own mother.

Aldra
- Story (8/10) - making deals with the devil a story element found in many dark fairy tales, and Queen's Blade is no exception with the character of Aldra. The dark backstory of Aldra and her sister, both half-demons, is one filled with strife, which makes the decisions Aldra makes and the extremes she goes through feel a little sympathetic, though still not enough to make her a villain worthy of compassion. This story strikes a good balance between sympathy and hate for the character of Aldra. And while she may be redeemed at the end of the story, her goals are still not met, thus avoiding the all too common story element of a sympathetic villain being rewarded for no good reason. Aldra's main flaw is her reliance on the powers of the demon within her; as a result, we never get a really good look at what Aldra can do on her own in terms of strength.

- Design (9/10) - Aldra's design is the opposite of plain. She has so much going on in her design, that it is both a good and bad thing, but mostly good. The beauty of Aldra is in the little details, such as the many belts, the metal eye patch, and small armor pieces spread around her, as well as clothing that covers only specific parts of her body, thus making Aldra have an almost battle-damaged look to her. Her "secret weapon" is also a nice touch, despite its obvious phallic implications. Aldra's sword is also a well designed weapon that looks less like a sword and more like a sword incarnate of violence itself, with its many spikes and awkward shape and handle. I never understood the "cat-ears", perhaps an ornamental crown would have been more fitting.

- Overall (8.5/10) - A great villain with a strong presence both in terms of story and design. It's also worth noting that its very nice that the QB designers avoided making cliche story choices with her.

Rating the Queen's Blade Characters - Part 1

Just as the title says, I will be rating the many characters of Queen's Blade. The rating I give will be based upon character design and story. The character design is judged upon both the original seen within the combat books and Rin-Sin's designs in the anime, and the story portion will be based upon all forms of canon, mostly the anime, but I will also include the various manga and HobbyJapan storyline. I will try my best to keep this concise, as I could go on and on about just one character, heh.

And with all that said, let's begin ...

Leina 
- Story (6/10) - Leina is a character that gets a lot of hate, but I find it to be undeserved. Her main flaw, and why she gets a lot of hate, is because, well, she's kinda boring. Leina is the main protagonist (in most of the stories), and thus begins as basically an empty slate of a warrior so that she can grow and learn. The problem is that the people she learns so much from are more experienced and "cooler" than she is, so she tends to get out-shined a lot. Regardless, Leina is good character due to her having a good heart and a strong will to become stronger. At first it was odd how Leina's one goal was simply to get stronger, but as we learn more about her upbringing and her love for her mother, it makes a lot more sense. In the finale, Leina was a bit annoying in the plot due to her plot-armor (thus inability to lose), but it was nice seeing her grow throughout the series.

- Design (7/10) - Leina's design is deceptively simple at first glance, but when taking notice of the little details like the belt wrapped around her body, her unique shield, and decorative breast-plate, it makes for a design that may show a fair amount of skin, but is still powerful in appearance.

- Overall (6.5/10) - a good character who doesn't stand-out much other than being the main character; nothing bad about her, but nothing great either.

Elina 

- Story (8/10) - You either love or hate Elina. It is very true that Elina is an overall bad person; she looks down on anyone that isn't her sisters and treats them like trash. This attitude was created by Elina's upbringing as an aristocrat and her natural strength as a warrior; this led her to feel she was superior to everyone who wasn't a member of her family. When you think about it, it makes sense; after all, not everyone can be as humble as Leina. Speaking of Leina, she is always the catalyst of anything Elina does as a result of Elina's deep infatuation for her sister, one of Elina's most endearing traits. The story of why she loves Leina so much is great, and really helps forge her character, and it also helps bring about Elina's inner struggle where she contemplates if Leina returns her deep feelings or not, and if Claudette, perhaps, will giver her the love she desires. All-in-all, Elina, despite her evil nature, is a complex and interesting character, as well as the star of my favorite episode of the QB anime series.

- Design (8/10) - Elina's design has a playful cat theme, and it works superbly alongside her personality and fighting style. Her hook-spear is also a very unique weapon, which she uses to great effect. The fur on her collar also helps set the pompous attitude she has towards most people; a nice touch. A great design all-around.

- Overall (8/10) - a great character with a great backstory, interesting, if not sometimes humorous, personal inner struggle, and dynamic interactions with the other characters around her. 

Claudette - (9/10)

- Story (9/10) - One of the more complex characters in the series, Claudette is one of the few characters with a strong arc throughout the story. She begins as an antagonist, but slowly grows into a powerful benefactor for both her sisters, but especially Leina. Her complex relationship with Leina, Elina, her father, and Maria (Leina and Elina's mother), make for a very interesting story. It was great seeing Leina and Claudette have a happy ending to their plight and both of them moving forward in their personal goals, even if everything didn't turn out perfectly. In the end, Claudette's character arc is one of the most interesting in the QB series, and it was always exciting to see just what decisions she would make as a knight, a sister, and a person.

- Design (9/10) - In terms of design, Claudette's more stern and imposing design by rin-sin in the anime stands out stronger than her original design; even if they are very similar. Claudette easily has one of the stronger designs in the series, thanks to her red hair, unique ornamental crown, powerful physique, huge sword, and lightning powers. Her design alone shows that she is one of the most powerful warriors in the series, and I love that about her design.

- Overall (9/10) - A really stand-out character in the QB cast thanks to a powerful design and an equally powerful story that may begin in an atypical fashion but eventually comes to a good conclusion that ends Claudette's character evolution in a great way. A character with true presence.

WARNING: Tomoe and Shizuka's entries contain a major story spoiler.

Tomoe -

- Story (9/10) - one of the major reasons Leina gets heavily criticized is because of how Tomoe tends to outshine her at every turn. A foreigner in a strange land, Tomoe's journey is one of discovery and desperation, and, as a result, Tomoe's journey is equally a light-hearted journey of self-discovery and a dark fight against her own weaknesses. And it's in her weaknesses that Tomoe's character really shines, for Tomoe is, simply put, too nice. She is a great warrior, but she is a pacifist at the same time. This leads her to make many hard decisions, eventually leading to her ultimate test of fighting her true love, Shizuka, in a battle to the death, and the way Shizuka's death effects Tomoe is very well executed in the story. Tomoe's story arc may not end in the best way, but it's still a satisfying end to one of QB's most stand-out characters. "Complete" is the word that comes to mind when thinking about Tomoe's story arc.

- Design (8/10) - "Simple yet effective" is the the phrase that comes to mind when thinking of Tomoe's design. The strong contrast between red and white colors of her clothing are great, and really give her design a strong presence despite being rather simple; combine this with her long black hair and the color pallete of Tomoe's design is beautiful. Overall, a strong design that demands attention.

- Overall (9/10) - Tomoe is a character truly defined by her character arc and strong relationship with Tomoe. Her conversation with Elina during their fight is one of the standout moments of the anime, as Elina brings up the major character flaw that character's like Tomoe have: they fight and kill while still speaking of pacifism, thus making Tomoe a powerful hypocrite. Such development of character really makes Tomoe standout in terms of story, and her simple design, ironically, helps her standout as well. A great character overall.

Shizuka 

- Story (8/10) - even though she may not be an "official" character in the QB cast, Shizuka is given prominent roles in both the anime and manga. She was originally Shizuka's enemy, but after being defeated by her and hearing her ideals, Shizuka decides to become Tomoe's servant and always stay by her side. Shizuka's aloof attitude and more down-to-earth way of thinking act as a foil to Tomoe, making them a great pair. Shizuka mostly acts as a supporting character for Tomoe throughout their journey, but her character arc comes to a powerful close with her death at the hands of Tomoe. The lead-in and outcome of their fight is superbly executed, making Shizuka's death one of the best-handled I've seen. Shizuka and Tomoe's relationship is one of deep affection and would most likely have become romantic if Shizuka had lived. That said, Shizuka only dies in the anime, in all of the manga storylines Shizuka lives, and her and Tomoe have a happy ending together. Would I have preferred if Shizuka lived? Yes, definitely. But her death was not poorly executed, so I'm OK with it. 

- Design (9/10) - In terms of design, Shizuka has one of the best designs in the series. Her one long bang in her hair is my favorite aspect about her design. Her purple color scheme is distinctive and works well with her hair color; and, of course, her trademark horns became a major symbol within the series thanks to her powerful death. 

- Overall (8/10) - In the end, Shizuka was mainly a supporting character, thus she didn't really standout on her own much, but she was a  very important part of Tomoe's character, not just in the anime but in the manga as well. She's a fun and lively character and acts as a great foil to Tomoe. Combine all of this with a great design, it's no wonder she's a fan favorite of many, and her and Tomoe are constantly seen as one of the better couples of the series. It's also worthy to note that unlike many characters like her, Shizuka is not defined by her death, it is impactful, yes, but it is far from what most remember most about her; and I think that's shows how great of a character Shizuka is.

Let's talk about Queen's Blade

Warning: this is basically a useless post; I just vent my thoughts on Queen's Blade at the moment.

So, a new series has been added to the Queen's Blade saga called "Queen's Blade Grimoire". And, that got me thinking: the Queen's Blade IP has lasted quite a while, covered many mediums, and doesn't look to slowdown anytime soon. So what has made QB such a successful franchise? Is it the fanservice/ecchi element? I don't think so; while it is definitely part of the series' popularity, a series can't survive on ecchi alone. Rather, I think what has made the series last is my favorite aspect of the series: the characters. Each character in the QB series is designed by a different artist, with a few exceptions like F.S and Eiwa who have designed several characters. Because of this the characters all have very distinct looks, and combine this with distinct personalities and stories for each character, and you've got a melting pot for some great character interaction. And that's where the series shines the most: the way the characters interact is superb and makes for some interesting, fun, and dramatic interactions. So, in many ways, QB's popularity works in a similar fashion to fighting games and how they become popular.

Another interesting aspect of the QB series is how it encompasses many different mediums, beginning as a combat book game alongside stories written on the main website, then an anime, then several manga series, and then videogames; and that's just the first series. But, I won't ramble much on what QB is; rather I'll just get to why I love the series (in all its forms) so much, despite being someone who usually hates fanservicey/ecchi anime/manga.

It's the characters. I love character-focused stories. From slice-of-lifes to grand personal oddyseys; I love when a stories main drive and entertainment comes from a large cast of characters, and QB's cast is one of the best I've ever come across, thanks heavily in part to all of the artists who created the characters and writers who write the stories that bring all of these characters together. The fact that the entire cast consists of women is also a big reason why I enjoy QB so much, more specifically, it's why I enjoy the character interaction so much. For you see, in mediums of entertainment, when men and women are put into the same group it is almost mandatory that romance has to occur, and often times it is full of angst and takes away from what it good about character interaction and just sours the entire experience (see The Legend of Korra). Queen's Blade has none of that. All of the character interaction in QB is golden; characters have clashing ideals, form rivalries, are sworn enemies, love each other, and fight each other. Much of the anticipation that comes from an upcoming event in the story comes from the simple fact that x is going to meet y. With such a diverse cast, the simple act of two QB character simply meeting constitutes excitement, and I love that about the series.

In all honesty, I wish the series didn't have such ecchi content to it, because then perhaps more people would watch/read it, but, then again, the fanservice probably brings in as many people as it does scare off, so I suppose it's a double-edged sword. Honestly, I don't have much of a problem with the ecchi factor, as I find it to be well executed most of the time, as it is mainly used as a way of showing physical damage on a character during battle, and the more clothes that are ripped, the more damage has been put upon a character, and if blood is actually slipped, then that brings about an even more extreme situation. I find this type of execution to battles welcome, as it allows the characters to all use weapons and fight without restraint while still keeping the show from getting very violent, thus keeping it enjoyable to watch in a Saturday morning cartoon kinda way. And that's a big reason why I love QB: it's light-hearted. The stories of some characters can get pretty dark, but it never goes too far, nor does it become so light-hearted that serious situations cannot be taken seriously. The most obvious situation to point out being the death of Shizuka, which is one of the most well handled deaths of a main character I've ever seen in anime, manga, or any other medium. Whether it was a good idea to kill off Shizuka or not is something I still think about, but the way it was executed and why it occurred were very well written and executed visually; as it is a very sad moment, and for an ecchi show to create such a moment truly convinced me that QB was not an ecchi anime, rather it was an adventure anime that happened to have ecchi in it. And I think that's how the people behind QB see it as well, because the QB series continues to expand its world setting, develop its characters, and have a pretty great plot to flow alongside the characters.

In the end, I think QB is a series that deserves respect alongside the judging glances it gets. And, you know, it actually gets both. There are many out there like myself who enjoy QB for its plot and characters, while there are those who enjoy it just for the fanservice, and I'm fine with that. I look forward to Queen's Blade's future and the characters and stories to come.

Why I don't talk about sexism in games/manga/anime

I'm going to get this out of the way right now: no, I don't think that sexism in gaming is a topic that shouldn't be talked about, nor do I think the people who criticize such elements in videogames/manga/anime are in the wrong. That said, this post is about why I don't write about such things in this blog, even when it seems like something relevant to what I'm writing about. Now, this isn't a subject that I completely ignore. I do talk about it from time to time in forums and with my friends, but only when it it brought up; rarely, am I the one to bring up this topic, and the reasoning as to why is what this blog post is about.

Now then, the reason why I don't discuss sexism in gaming comes down to only two points:

1) I don't get it.

What do I mean by that? Well, simply put: I don't get what counts as sexist and what doesn't most of the time. Now, of course, there's the obvious stuff where women are objectified and disrespected, but it seems that sometimes the line blurs between what is OK and what isn't. For example, why is it that a character like Samus is ridiculed for her portrayal in Metroid: Other M, but Juliet Starling's character portrayal in Lollipop Chainsaw is just fine? Why is it that Nami and Robin in One Piece are criticized for their clothing in One Piece, but the female characters in Fairy Tail aren't? Why is it that I am a pervert for watching Queen's Blade, but suddenly I'm cool for watching Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt?

I'm not looking for an answer for these questions, because I know that answer: that's just how it is. There's no fighting against the vocal majority. Some things are established as fine and good before they're even released, while others are ridiculed far after they see release. Why? Well, my guess is that the reasoning behind if something is OK or not comes not from the people who do know what they're talking about and should be determining if it's OK or not, but rather, the vocal majority that lies within the sea of fandom known as the internet. If a fanbase is larger than another, it doesn't mater what the smaller fanbase says, the larger fanbase's opinion is what the majority of people will see and hear, and thus it will soon become fact. It's in this sea of chaos that is thousands (if not millions) of people's opinions that I just find myself not understanding the logic of this chaos. Why is it that Panty & Stocking, an anime that literally made me sick to my stomach, is a cool and awesome anime to watch? I don't know. And that's the answer I find myself coming to when faced with the many other questions that delve into subjects like portrayal of female characters and sexism. I don't get why some things are OK and others aren't. And, you know, I'm fine with that. I have my own values and opinions on the subject of sexism, and I stand by them. I feel that as long as I stand by my own opinions, I'm doing fine. I'm not going to change my values just so I can try to understand something that confuses me; after all, in doing that I'd feel like I'm betraying myself in a way, and, furthermore, I basically just don't care much. I mean, yes, I respect women very much, but as I said in my fanservice discussion post a while back, we have to understand that these are creations of fantasy and there are limits to how much fantasy can be limited and criticized. This leads to my second point ...

2) It doesn't matter.

Now, don't get me wrong, discussion on the subject of sexism and portrayal of women in games has made great strides in how women are portrayed in the entertainment medium, but what needs to be understood is that there are limits as to how much can change. Just because female characters are getting more respect in the media most people see, doesn't mean there won't always be manga like ToLoveRu and Air Gear that but T&A center stage in their portrayal of female characters. "Bad Fanservice", as I called it in my previous post, is something that will always be present in all forms of social media. Sex sells; it always has and it always will. Now, I'm not saying we should tolerate everything bad with a female characters portrayal, but we have to understand that there will always be smut in the world.


These two points come together and basically form how I take in such subjects of sexism in gaming. For example, when everyone complained about Samus' portrayal in Metroid: Other M, I thought about it for a while, but ultimately came to the conclusion that I just didn't get what everyone was talking about, and whether that was due to ignorance on my part for not seeing something that was there, or ignorance on other's part for not fully understanding the story was something I just couldn't pinpoint in the sea of chaos that is the internet and a vast amount of people's opinions. But, in the end, it didn't matter, because the majority group had spoken (on the internet at least) and the game was labeled as a poor representation of Samus and her character. Do I disagree? Of course. Does anyone really care? No. And for that reason, I don't really care. I know it's the coward's way out, but that's just how I feel about the subject. I have my own views and I stand by them, but I don't plan on dealing with the madness that is the internet in order to voice such opinions. That may seem hypocritical to say because I'm writing this in a blog on the internet, but, in all honesty, I don't really expect anyone to take my views to heart, as I'm doing this to basically vent my thoughts, not to make a statement.

Now, I'm not saying that people should just sit back and let the entertainment medium do as they like when it comes to the portrayal of women. I'm just saying that I have no place criticize such matter because I am simply too ignorant on the subject itself, too far flung from the sea of chaos that is the internet, and simply too set in my own views on the subject that I really have no place to criticize the subjects of sexism and portrayals of female characters. Thus why I don't discuss the subject. I'm not ignoring it, but I don't believe me discussing the subject will do much good.

Bottom Line: people can like what they like and hate what they hate, and that includes me. I like Samus' portrayal as a female protagonist with weaknesses and strengths in Metroid: Other M, and I hate Panty & Stocking for being a perverted mess of teenage boy fantasies with female characters who are simply sex-crazed sluts. I don't get why people don't like Samus' character portrayal, nor do I understand why the anime Panty & Stocking has such a large fanbase, but, in the end, it doesn't matter, because anime like P&S will always exist, and fanboys will always hate change in videogames. These things will never change. I may disagree, but such opinions on the internet just don't fly; so, I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't. Sure, there's a world out there where if I try my damnedest, I might get some people to understand my opinion, but, for a normal guy like me, that's just too much work. I'll leave that people like femalefrequency @ Youtube.

In the end, all I gotta say is: don't worry, be happy.

Rant: Women in Manga/Anime/Comics

The credentials for a good female character are no different than those of a good male character. Why? Because aside from actions involving the unique genitals of each sex, women and men can do the exact same things. There aren't feelings only women can feel, nor are there any physical actions men can do that women cannot. As such, there shouldn't be some huge checklist of traits that a female character should have. While it may seem sexist to say this: a good female character more than likely could be turned into a male and there should be no major differences in how we view the character as a good one, and that same can be applied to male characters. Women can fight, they can bleed, they can be hot-blooded, they can get angry, and they can kick ass, and yet creators everywhere feel they have to take all of these precautions when creating female characters, when they should just focus on making a good character who simply happens to be female. Just look at Hayate X Blade with it's huge all-female cast composed of very unique and very diverse characters.

Now, that's not to say that unique female characteristics do not exist and can be implemented well into a character. A superb example of this is Izumi Curtis in the manga Fullmetal Alchemist who was a strong and loving person in her own right, but had unique character traits due to her maternal characters. Much of her character was developed through the execution of her as a mother who had been through tough hardships as a mother. These types of characteristics are something unique to her character as a female, because as a female, she is the one who gave birth to her child, and must personally deal with the fact that she will not be able to give birth again. However, she finds happiness in the Elric brothers, and how she became a motherly figure to them, and how she saw them as her sons. This is a perfect example of how to make a great character who must be female. A man in Izumi's positions would not be able to have the same character traits, due to the maternal characteristics of her as a woman.

Now, to move onto the poor executions of female characters, which basically come down to the simple action of a creator having a female character for the sole purpose of showing off T&A or simply having them present as something for men to have sex with. I find the worst example to be the latter, so I'll begin with that. If you look at a series like Queen's Blade, where there are solely female characters, sure, there is a lot of T&A, but its never for the enjoyment of some other character, rather its simply there for fanservice purposes. But when you get into series that present men and women, many times the situation comes up where the women are simply objects for the men to ogle and harass, or even have sex with. I see this as just exploitation of the female character, even when they are prevelant chracters in their respective manga/anime/comic. Just look at every Gainax anime, where the women are simply present as a means to an end for the male character(s) of each series to look more manly by seeing these female characters naked, touching their breasts, or being aroused by them. In other series, we see instances of male characters having sex with (often nameless) female characters simply for the sake of making them look more manly; an example of this being the character of Agon in the manga Eyeshield 21, who would have sex with and consistently date many nameless female characters throughout the series for the sake of just making him look more manly. Why do this!?!? Having sex with a lot of women does not make a man "manly". Being strong, responsible, and a good leader is what makes a man "manly", not how many women you've had sex with. It's a shame, because this whole "manly" image created from having a lot of sex is in practically every sitcom, drama, and soap opera on TV (at least here in the United States), and I'm guessing it's no different throughout the world considering this type of execution of "manly" characters is prevalent throughout all entertainment media aimed at older teens and above. This is what happens when men dominate creative media, and yet I've seen many women's creations have similar executions of character, even on the female side, where women have pride over how many women they've had sex with. So, I guess this is just something I just don't understand; both in why creators consistently create these types of characters as well as why so many people enjoy these types of characters.

Like I've said so many times before: sex is for porn; keep it there.

The next situations arises from just using women for T&A in general. Look, in manga/anime/comics, where men are the often the main source of readers and men are the majority of the creators, I can see why there is T&A; however, there are right and wrong ways to go about this. Quite simply, don't use women as objects that are simply made to be gawked at. Make them good characters who simply happen to be sexy; just look at One Piece, which has many attractive female characters, but I guarantee you that if you ask any fan of the manga to say what they think about them, the first thing they say will not be that "she has big breasts" or "she's sexy". But when you get into manga/anime like Fairy Tail (or any of Mishima's works for that matter), you just get female characters who are simply present to be "sexy for the camera" and harassed by the male characters so that not only more sex appeal can arise from the female characters (the female character's respect and characterization be damned) and for the male characters to look cool and "manly". If you need further examples of the exploitation of the female body in the form of a female character see any harem manga/anime or American comic. In fact, American comics may be even more guilty of using female characters simply for their "sexy bits" than even manga/anime. At least manga/anime are often clear from the very beginning that "this is going to be an ecchi series; so don't show the kids!", but when looking at American comics, it's often something thrown into the comic because it's on some checklist every comic artist has. I was really surprised at how many female characters in comics were, for lack of a better term, sluts.

This all just annoys me. I've got nothing against fanservice, but it can get to the point where I just get pissed off really quick. I had to stop reading Fairy Tail for the reasons above. Things definitely aren't getting any better, but at least there are still a lot of manga that still keep it classy or keep their fanservice on low levels and just let the fan-artists and doujin creators do their work.

I know that I may have looked over certain things throughout this post simply because this was just a rant I felt like writing after learning about the contents of the newest Fairy Tail chapter, but I still think I made a point in all this. I really just want to point out that a good female character doesn't have to be sexy, nor does it mean a good female character can't be sexy. A great character is developed out of their actions, and if you make your female character a slut, there's no good that's going to come out of that (see Gainax's Panty and Stocking anime), nor does having a man have sex with a lot of female characters doesn't make him "manly" nor does it do anything good for the image of females in your creative work. Develop a character out of their actions, make us love the character out of what they do and who they are; if that character happens to be female, that's fine, if she happens to ooze with sex appeal, that's fine too, just treat her with respect. That's all I ask.

My "Favorite" Anime

I don't watch anime much, but the ones I do watch, I tend to really enjoy, but since I don't watch many, it'd be kinda pointless to make a "Top 10", so here's the anime I've enjoyed the most over the years.

Now as far as my opinions go with anime, I haven't found one I'd call perfect, but there are several who've come close. And by perfect, I mean an anime I find no flaws in; I simply enjoy every aspect about it. And, of course, by "perfect", I mean perfect in my eyes. When it comes to anime, I REALLY have different likes and dislikes than most people; so this list could be baffling to some, heh.

In this list, I'll list all of my favorite anime and give concise (as best I can) explanations on why I like them, as well as what I don't like about them (meaning, why I don't think they're perfect). Also, to note, this anime is not ranked in any particular order. And, with that, here I go:

- Cowboy Bebop. Probably the one anime on this list that is part of the "mainstream". I enjoy it for the obvious reasons of great animation, characters, stories, and music. My favorite aspects of Cowboy Bebop are the movie-like execution of each episode and the superb and stylish soundtrack from Yoko Kanno. Surprisingly, despite some mature tones in some of Bebop's stories, I never got that uncomfortable feeling I get with other violent anime; probably because each episode is separated from one another, so I knew everything would go back to normal in the next episode. I loved the stylish execution of the episodes, as well as the variety there-of; sometimes an episode would be full of action, sometimes it was a comedic episode, and other times it was a serious affair. This episode variety combined with the incredible soundtrack made for a truly entertaining anime.

My only problem with Bebop lies in the melancholy tone of the series. Overall, the series isn't that fun. It's definitely enjoyable, but the atmosphere was always a dark one; which worked in Bebop's favor, but as someone who likes to leave an episode with a smile on my face, I couldn't get that every episode. Regardless, Bebop is easily the best runner for my favorite anime of all time; rivaled only by...

- Nichijou. I freakin' love this anime. It is basically the polar opposite of Cowboy Bebop, and yet I enjoy both series immensely. Nichijou is the funniest anime I've ever seen and also one of the most entertaining. The animation by Kyoto Animation is the most impressive I've ever seen in an anime; it's insanely stylized yet beautiful, and never does the animation take a dip in quality throughout the 26 episode length. What is most impressive, however, is the superb direction of the series. The pacing of each episode is superb, leaving little to no time for dull pauses of boredom. Furthermore, the voice acting is incredible, and each voice actor really gave it their all. Overall, Nichijou just felt like a blank canvas where all of the talented artists and directors at Kyoto Animation got together and just had a lot of fun. The result is what is perhaps my favorite anime of all time.

If I had a problem with Nichijou, it would be that there were a few episodes that weren't as funny as others. This isn't a huge problem, but if the anime could have remained consistently superb all the way through, it would easily be my favorite anime. But, I suppose I can't expect an anime to run flames blazing all the time.

- Kill Me Baby. Here's an anime that, at first glance, is very simple. There are only 4 characters in the whole anime, and it focuses on two of them for 90% of the series. Luckily, the anime is written very well and the voice actresses to a superb job on their characters. What really sells this series, however, are the two main characters and how they work off of one another. The end result is something both funny and relatable, for nearly everyone has had a friend like Yasuna or Sonya.

My only problem with Kill Me Baby would be that there were times when Sonya was a bit too mean to Yasuna. I know that's how they work off of each other, but I think Sonya went two far three times. Also, I think the series would've benefited from some yuri subtext; their interactions were practically begging for it.

- Bodacious Space Pirates. A series that is actually currently running, but is easily one of my favorite anime of all time. The series is beautifully directed and has a superb sci-fi setting. BSP also has some great leading female characters who really started off great and continued to impress as the series went on. What I a lot about the series is how it handles conflicts. Whenever conflict arose in the series it was often settled in non-violent ways; often becoming a battle of wits and savvy. I love this aspect about the series, as it is really refreshing to see conflict play out this way rather than with fists and guns like in most other series. The most impressive aspect of the series is the writing. BSP is the most well written anime I've ever come across; rarely are lines wasted, episodes are superbly paced and executed, and all of the sci-fi "mumbo-jumbo" is explained very well and in just enough detail for everyone to understand the complexities of the technology in the world setting. Also, the series contains some nice yuri subtext, as well as a canon yuri couple (though they aren't main characters).

My only problem with the series is also something I enjoy about the series: it's very relaxed. While there is definitely conflict, rarely does it feel like the characters lives are in grave danger. While this makes the conflicts a little less impactful, it also lets me come away from episodes with a smile on my face; so it's a double-edged sword.

- Queen's Blade (Exiled Virgin, Beautiful Warriors, Rebellion). The first and favorite of the "all-girls" anime to hit this list. I am a huge fan of "all-girl" anime, and often I will watch any "all-girl" anime I can find. By "all-girl" anime, I mean an anime that has a main cast consisting of entirely females. I enjoy these types of series because I like to see how writers develop and execute female characters in anime. I feel like I've seen enough male main characters to last a lifetime; so when I come across a series that consist of only female main characters, I become immensely intrigued; and I've actually never been disappointed so far when it comes to "all-girl" anime series.

Queen's Blade is my favorite as it not only has an all-female cast, but it's also set in a medieval fantasy setting, which is really rare in anime, especially nowadays. The cast is what really makes Queen's Blade shine; each character is designed by a different artist, and as a result, the cast is extremely varied. And it is when this varied cast begins to interact with one another that QB truly shines. I love good character interaction, and when it is combined with a unique setting, varied characters, and some fanservice and yuri subtext, magic is made. Also, the QB anime has some of the best music I've heard in an anime, and, alongside Cowboy Bebop, is the only anime where I've gotten the OSTs to listen to in my spare time.

My only problems with QB lie in a few scenes (spread throughout the series) that I think went a bit too far (often in terms of violence) to get a point across. An aspect of QB that I love is how light-hearted it tends to be, but sometimes the writers went a little to far to prove a point. Also, the fanservice can be a little much at times, but overall, it's fine.

- A Channel. Now here is one under-appreciated slice-of-life anime. At first glance, A Channel appears to borrow heavily from K-ON; and it does in a few aspects, but it differs heavily from K-ON in its unique execution. A Channel keeps episodes very light on conflict (though there are some serious episodes, but it's never anything major) and really just keeps things enjoyable, funny, and "soft, alongside this are insert songs that really add to the style and characters of A Channel. The end result is an anime that always keeps a smile on your face, even though it isn't that funny. The characters really shine in A Channel, especially Tooru, who is the most original character in a slice-of-life I've seen in quite some time. Overall, while it may not be the best anime out there, it's truly an enjoyable anime that always left a smile on my face when it was over. I really didn't want this one to end.

I really can't think of anything bad about this series; I suppose it's only flaw is that it wasn't mind-blowing in any way. It was a standard, though superbly executed, slice-of-life; nothing more, nothing less.

- Kanamemo. Another great slice-of-life series. The series sets itself apart by having a diverse cast of characters. The focuses on a girl named Kana who just lost her grandmother, and it's from there that we see Kana grow in maturity alongside her new "family". It's all very heart-warming as well as funny. Also, this series has a canon yuri couple that consistently show their affection for one another. I love how the anime portrays them not as any type of fanservice or plot device, but rather they simply are a couple and they love one another. I hope more anime have similar canon yuri couples in the future.

I have no real problems with this series. It balances the comedy and drama very well, and it always enjoyable. I suppose, like A Channel, there's nothing mind-blowing here, but the canon yuri couple was a pleasant surprise.

- Strike Witches. Another "all-girls" anime, and one of my favorites. I really enjoyed the setting of SW, and I love how it continues to expand though light novels and manga. The characters of SW are really the bread-and-butter of the series, and when combined with a very interesting setting, it leads to some great action, comedy, and drama. At times SW comes across as a slice-of-life, but other times it feels more like a drama; these different genres never clash with each other, though. Like I said, the characters are really the best part of the anime, and anime's execution really lets the characters shine by having stories focus solely on the characters and their interactions with each other. The end result is a great anime that allows us to see these characters interact and develop over the course of 26 episodes. I really hope a third season is made at some point.

My only problem with the series is that I feel it could have used some more action. There are some great action scenes spread throughout the series, but it's never much.

- Sengoku Otome. Another great "all-girls" anime. This anime truly impressed me. At first, I was expecting an all-female Sengoku Basara, but instead I got an anime more emotional, impactful, historically correct (ironic, I know), and fun than Sengoku Basara. The series' focus on characters, like Queen's Blade and Strike Witches, really helps it shine as both an entertaining and fun anime. The character of Oda Nobunaga is particularly interesting, as we see her develop through her interactions with a young girl from the present. The set-up for Sengoku Otome may be cliche, but its story development in later episodes is anything but. This series really surprised me in how well it executed its story-telling. It may have only been 12 episodes, but it was a great story and time well spent. Also, there's some nice yuri subtext and love woven into the story, and its superbly done.

My only problem with this series is Shiro, who is a dog and acts as the only male character in the show; except he doesn't act like a dog, rather he acts like a man. So he's basically the source of the "bad fanservice" I spoke about in an ealier blog post. It isn't too bad, but the anime would have been perfect without him.

- Arakawa Under the Bridge. Before Nichijou came along, I would have said that Arakawa was easily the funniest anime I've ever seen. Animated by Shaft, Arakawa is an anime that is both hilarious, stylish, original, and thoroughly enjoyable. The sheer amount of personality that stems from each unique character in Arakawa is something to behold, and their interactions with one another make for some great humor. Arakawa is also quite charming, as it mixes drama in with it's comedy quite well. A very original and funny anime.

My only problem with Arakawa is that the main character, Ric, can be annoying at times. It's never a problem, but it can be irksome at times.

- Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. OK, so Bebop wasn't the only mainstream hit on this list. I have to say though, I didn't expect Madoka to erupt in popularity the way it did. Madoka is probably the only "dark" anime on this list. I honestly don't have much to say on Madoka. I originally watched it because it was advertised during Arakawa and it was an "all-girl" anime. Overall, I feel that I respect Madoka more than enjoy it, as it was pretty dark. But I really enjoyed the characters and the stories they had to tell, especially Homura. Episode 10 of this series is one of the best episodes of anime (or anything) I've ever seen; it really touched me.

My only problem with this series is the character of Miki Sayaka. Who I understand was supposed to be the tragic character, but I really couldn't get behind her actions (sacrificing herself for a boy; tch, worst way you could go, imo).

- Tantei Opera Milky Holmes. Here's an odd yet enjoyable series. It's full of visual gags, parodies, and slapstick humor, and yet it's superbly animated and has some of the best action scenes I've ever seen in anime. It's definitely a weird one, but very enjoyable nonetheless. I really enjoyed the characters of this series, particularly Henrietta/Arsene, who has a very interesting and complicated relationship with the main character of Sheri. It's really interesting to see how the characters interact, even among all of the craziness.

My problems with this series stem from the simply fact that I'm not savvy to Japanese culture, as a result, I miss a lot of jokes and parody gags in the show. Also, I kinda wish the show was serious more, as the show is really at its best when its serious and focusing on the character relationship between Sheri and Henrietta.

- Mitsudomoe. This show is just insane. It's the type of comedy you can't really respect until you're done laughing. As the comedy in Mitsudomoe is based solely on misunderstandings. This may sound like it gets old, but the writers managed to make it last two seasons of hilarity. Mitsudomoe is also quite perverted, and yet its not. So many jokes have a perverse context (the fact that the main characters are children doesn't help, heh), and yet nothing perverse ever happens in the show. It all works out superbly, and it's just so funny.

If I have a problem with Mitsudomoe, it would be that, like Nichijou, some episodes are just funnier than others, and some jokes just aren't as funny as others. But, hey, I may just be asking for too much.

- Yuru Yuri. Finally, an anime focused solely on yuri! Huh? What do you mean there's no actually yuri? Well, regardless, YY is heavy on the yuri subtext and basically feels like a story showing us the budding of several yuri relationships between the cast of young girls. Like A Channel, the anime is very well directed, and really doesn't try to be anything more or less than what it set out to be: a slice-of-life focusing around yuri subtext. The characters are all great, and make for some interesting character interaction, whether for yuri purposes, comedic purposes, or dramatic purposes.

As with A Channel, I have no real complaints to make, simply that it just didn't blow my mind with any of its content.

- Astro Boy (90's anime). This anime is the perfect example of how I like my plot-focused stories to be executed. Have drama and mature themes present, but present them in a light-hearted way, i.e. through the eyes of a boy. This anime brings up a lot of dramatic story themes, particularly concerning the uneasy relationships between humans and robots. Astro Boy has been around for as long as anime has been around, and while I enjoyed the original series, I feel this series executed the themes of the story in just the right way so get them across better without having them shoved in our faces. This anime has made me cry several times, and yet I always end an episode with a smile. That's some good story-telling.

My only problem with this series is that it's hard to find it in a good-quality video. Even the remastered DVD set doesn't look that great. Also, the english dub isn't too great.

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OK. That's my list. Now, I may have forgotten some anime, but I'm pretty sure these are my favorites. I didn't include a lot of those classic series like Gundam Wing and Outlaw Star because I think a large part of why I have fond memories of those anime is because they were the first ones I watched back in the Toonami days, so I'm not too sure if I'd like them now. Also, if you're wondering why Fullmetal Alchemist isn't on the list, its because I don't think its that great. It's definitely not bad, but I do think its over-rated, not as much as other anime like Bleach and Fairy Tail, but still kinda over-rated.

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Bonus Round: Anime I Hate

- Harem anime. Holy crap! Do I hate harem anime! I mean, if the female characters are meant to be the focus of the anime since they're the most interesting characters, why bother having a male character there in the first place?!? Why!?! It just demeans the female characters to be reduced to an item to pick off the shelf at the end of the series. This genre is also responsible for 90% of "bad fanservice". I hope this genre dies out soon.

- Gainax anime. Now, I truly respect Gainax's animation style; it's creative and very stylish. With that said, I really don't like their anime. With the exception of Evangalion, they always give off the vibe of an anime that's about having fun with crazy visuals and wacky characters, but when they actually get underway, they're always the story about how a teenage boy gets a boner. Every freakin' one (with the exception of Diebuster).  My hate for these anime really comes down to their characters; I hate basically every Gainax character. I find none of them likable, especially the female characters, which is a big deal coming from me, heh. It just annoys me how such talented animators waste their time with these stories; they could do so much more if they just stopped trying to be do deep with their stories all the time. The end result is often just confusing and uncomfortable. I know my opinion here is childish, but this is just what I think.

- Dark anime. Sex and violence. No, thank you.