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narcasseBecause my porridge is too hot at the moment and that’s as good enough a reason as any.
It occurred to me today that there are generally two types of fanishness directed at various characters, there are more but for the moment I’m only going to address the most visible two.
The two sides being that either a character is admired and worshiped as an idealised, perfect archetype completely abstractly (Goddess Yuna syndrome) or as a hodgepodge of sexual traits (Lara Croft has a face? syndrome).
In the first case the character in question is described as possessed of a variety of vague but desirable qualities, as well as having certain other qualities that while endearing in the abstract, would make it fairly impossible for said character to form a decent relationship. It’s often the case with characters that are described as shy and timid. These things are seen as sweet and endearing traits but also prevent them from being pictured in any sort of major social interaction.
Granted sometimes those traits that build up the angst factor aren’t exactly desirable in of themselves but in the case of characters like Trinity Blood’s Abel Nightroad, I’m pretty sure that while his tragic past might be seen as one of those desirable things it also pretty much prevents him from forming any sort of major relationship. He probably also scores double on that one for being the angsty fellow who puts a brave and cheery face on it.
And talking of invalidating angst, take Meine Liebe manga-verse Naoji Ishidzuki, who while sweet and timid looks like he couldn’t even tie his shoelaces without having a crisis.
As a rule this sort of character annoys me, though to be fair the angsty chap with a tragic past who still gets on with things is fairly understandable. Though often enough in those sorts of cases he’s fine but everyone else around him will angst their little heart out on his behalf while he gets on with his job. As for Mr Too Timid to Do Absolutely Anything, well… I’ve met people like that before and to borrow a phrase, they shit me to tears because there’s only so much poking at them to figure their shit out that I can handle and after a while I get bored.
So it really comes down to how said character deals with that crisis or tragic past or not having been hugged as a child or whatnot that defines them rather than the tragic past or present crisis or not having been hugged as a child itself. If they deal with it nicely alls well and good but if they don’t they’re pretty much useless then, aren’t they? I don’t understand why pathetic lack of coping is lauded as such a desirable character trait though perhaps it’s a throwback to the old fairytales. Pathetic helpless retch, who is still pretty and sweet and sings like a bird mind, is pathetic and then gets rescued by the Handsome Prince who’ll then make it all better. I think that line of logic offends me, helplessness is not a virtue and why does nobody consider that if the little helpless princess still remains in exactly the same state of emotional maturity as she started out, perhaps her prince might get bored of her pretty damn quickly?
It is the helpless factor that I’m getting at here. A dark angsty past doesn’t necessarily have to lead to the character wangsting on about it or developing an irritating inability to cope, just look at Dietrich von Lohengrin.
At the other end of the scale is the character who becomes some sort of exponent of idealised sexual traits. I’d be tempted to suggest Hibari Ginza here but she’s not just the interesting jiggle during the OP of Speed Grapher at all so alas she doesn’t qualify for a mention.
Mizuho Kazami of Onegai Teacher is a prime example of this sort of thing really and the whole series does revolve around passing attempts at pseudo-hentai for people who like to giggle over the issue it would seem.
Though I should detour here a little to express my disinterest in this sort of half-hearted attempt at the matter. Either go watch some hentai or don’t. Don’t just sit about and giggle about how ‘naughty’ the idea of a schoolboy falling into his teacher’s cleavage is. Needless to say, softcore shits me to tears too.
In some respects this sort of idealising a certain character archetype isn’t quite as offensive the exaltation of crippling shyness. At least if the character ‘selling point’ is that she has tremendous cleavage or that he could suck cock for Kuchen, it’s not quite as insidious as lauding what would really be an awful trait to have in the long run. Because if Orpherus von Marmelade nahe Görz can not only deep-throat but also swallows it’s not half as bad as the idea that vast quantities of timidity to the point where said character can’t even engage in proper social interaction are endearing. At least we know why he’s an idealised character up front rather than just having to pick out and around details that leave you rather disappointed in the end.
Also, I think I’ve just distracted myself by typing that all out.
But the overall point, my overall point is that valuing timidity as a character trait seems rather odd to my mind. Having excessive sexual expertise or sexualised traits as a point of character focus at least is more honest.
Perhaps it’s simply because I don’t understand why shyness is praised. I don’t see how crippling inability to cope is a valuable asset, it doesn’t make anyone want to save you and might in fact make several people want to kick you in the teeth. Angsty past or not withstanding, if it’s a choice between the pretty but non-responsive boy in the corner or the cock-sucking son-of-a-bitch, as far as I’m concerned the latter wins every time. Like I’ve said, there’s only so many times that insecurity and timidity can be bolstered by the suggestions and aid of someone else and after a while that someone else is just going to get bored, so to reproduce that sort of scenario in fandom just smacks of tedium.
But hey, write what you know: maybe I’m just that lucky.
It occurred to me today that there are generally two types of fanishness directed at various characters, there are more but for the moment I’m only going to address the most visible two.
The two sides being that either a character is admired and worshiped as an idealised, perfect archetype completely abstractly (Goddess Yuna syndrome) or as a hodgepodge of sexual traits (Lara Croft has a face? syndrome).
In the first case the character in question is described as possessed of a variety of vague but desirable qualities, as well as having certain other qualities that while endearing in the abstract, would make it fairly impossible for said character to form a decent relationship. It’s often the case with characters that are described as shy and timid. These things are seen as sweet and endearing traits but also prevent them from being pictured in any sort of major social interaction.
Granted sometimes those traits that build up the angst factor aren’t exactly desirable in of themselves but in the case of characters like Trinity Blood’s Abel Nightroad, I’m pretty sure that while his tragic past might be seen as one of those desirable things it also pretty much prevents him from forming any sort of major relationship. He probably also scores double on that one for being the angsty fellow who puts a brave and cheery face on it.
And talking of invalidating angst, take Meine Liebe manga-verse Naoji Ishidzuki, who while sweet and timid looks like he couldn’t even tie his shoelaces without having a crisis.
As a rule this sort of character annoys me, though to be fair the angsty chap with a tragic past who still gets on with things is fairly understandable. Though often enough in those sorts of cases he’s fine but everyone else around him will angst their little heart out on his behalf while he gets on with his job. As for Mr Too Timid to Do Absolutely Anything, well… I’ve met people like that before and to borrow a phrase, they shit me to tears because there’s only so much poking at them to figure their shit out that I can handle and after a while I get bored.
So it really comes down to how said character deals with that crisis or tragic past or not having been hugged as a child or whatnot that defines them rather than the tragic past or present crisis or not having been hugged as a child itself. If they deal with it nicely alls well and good but if they don’t they’re pretty much useless then, aren’t they? I don’t understand why pathetic lack of coping is lauded as such a desirable character trait though perhaps it’s a throwback to the old fairytales. Pathetic helpless retch, who is still pretty and sweet and sings like a bird mind, is pathetic and then gets rescued by the Handsome Prince who’ll then make it all better. I think that line of logic offends me, helplessness is not a virtue and why does nobody consider that if the little helpless princess still remains in exactly the same state of emotional maturity as she started out, perhaps her prince might get bored of her pretty damn quickly?
It is the helpless factor that I’m getting at here. A dark angsty past doesn’t necessarily have to lead to the character wangsting on about it or developing an irritating inability to cope, just look at Dietrich von Lohengrin.
At the other end of the scale is the character who becomes some sort of exponent of idealised sexual traits. I’d be tempted to suggest Hibari Ginza here but she’s not just the interesting jiggle during the OP of Speed Grapher at all so alas she doesn’t qualify for a mention.
Mizuho Kazami of Onegai Teacher is a prime example of this sort of thing really and the whole series does revolve around passing attempts at pseudo-hentai for people who like to giggle over the issue it would seem.
Though I should detour here a little to express my disinterest in this sort of half-hearted attempt at the matter. Either go watch some hentai or don’t. Don’t just sit about and giggle about how ‘naughty’ the idea of a schoolboy falling into his teacher’s cleavage is. Needless to say, softcore shits me to tears too.
In some respects this sort of idealising a certain character archetype isn’t quite as offensive the exaltation of crippling shyness. At least if the character ‘selling point’ is that she has tremendous cleavage or that he could suck cock for Kuchen, it’s not quite as insidious as lauding what would really be an awful trait to have in the long run. Because if Orpherus von Marmelade nahe Görz can not only deep-throat but also swallows it’s not half as bad as the idea that vast quantities of timidity to the point where said character can’t even engage in proper social interaction are endearing. At least we know why he’s an idealised character up front rather than just having to pick out and around details that leave you rather disappointed in the end.
Also, I think I’ve just distracted myself by typing that all out.
But the overall point, my overall point is that valuing timidity as a character trait seems rather odd to my mind. Having excessive sexual expertise or sexualised traits as a point of character focus at least is more honest.
Perhaps it’s simply because I don’t understand why shyness is praised. I don’t see how crippling inability to cope is a valuable asset, it doesn’t make anyone want to save you and might in fact make several people want to kick you in the teeth. Angsty past or not withstanding, if it’s a choice between the pretty but non-responsive boy in the corner or the cock-sucking son-of-a-bitch, as far as I’m concerned the latter wins every time. Like I’ve said, there’s only so many times that insecurity and timidity can be bolstered by the suggestions and aid of someone else and after a while that someone else is just going to get bored, so to reproduce that sort of scenario in fandom just smacks of tedium.
But hey, write what you know: maybe I’m just that lucky.
