I would like to proudly announce that recently I finished off two video games in one day. Although I started them on different days  coincidence made it so I finished Galaxy Angel and Radiant Historia at the same time. Finishing both games back to back made me realize one thing. I would easily recommend both games so the next statement comes from someone who was thoroughly satisfied with his gaming experience (although if the last mission of Galaxy Angel were not an escort mission I would be happier.) Both games are sort of thin when it comes to their characters. They were enjoyable but in realized that had these character been from an anime or manga I would have considered them much weaker.  We simply accept a smaller amount of characterization in video games than we do from any other medium of entertainment.

We all know that video games have changed and evolved quite a bit over the years, but its been in many different directions. Even excluding the change in graphics capability and the potential length of games, plenty of growth in how people perceive games and how the creators make them has happened. They are a new and special type of storytelling, they are art to some and entertainment to many, and by any standard they have become integrated into the fabric of people’s lives on some level. But let’s go back to the storytelling element, certainly there have always been goals and structures for games, but we’ve seen epic stories come to life, too. And things just seem to grow more complex, with bigger ideas, and greater casts. But how characters develop in the story and through the player is still another idea all together.

Even as a huge Galaxy Angel fan I am the first to admit that the girls from Galaxy Angel seem like they come from a cynical boardroom meeting of Broccoli executives trying to cast their net as wide as possible. It that sense they are very reliant on their archetypal personalities. But when you interact with them in the game they come more alive despite being somewhat defined by simple personality quirks. When you put those same characters in the Galaxy Angel manga it is much more obvious what simple characters they are. I have to wonder if that is why so many anime and video game adaptions are so reviled. When they are adapted you see exactly how much the narrative and characters relied on interactivity to fill in the gaps. I many of the same ways Radiant Historia has a very intriguing plot involving time travel and politics but the characters equally broad stereotypes. Many of the characters personalities and back stories are only really learned through hunting down optional quests and what could be argued as the main romance in the game can be missed entirely. It can be argued that even with those little details that you can hunt down there are still only half as fleshed out as rich as even a shallowly explored anime or manga character. Since you have to hunt down these side missions and little asides it gives them a more rewarding feel. You attach more significance to finding out this information when you find it on your own.

My own experience with video games stems mainly from RPGs through the 90′s (okay, and Professor Layton of late) so those are really my core for talking about character. One of my (and many other’s) best-loved characters, Link from the Legend of Zelda is someone I love because of the adventures I go on as him; in the beginning he was your vessel and you got out of him whatever you put in. But as the game’s started to expand, so did the character. He has friends, motivations, and a past depending on what game you’re playing. Despite A Link to the Past being my favorite iteration, it is impossible to say that Link was all that fleshed out as a character. What he is thinking or feeling that is still up to how you interpret him and what you want out of his actions (or your actions). I would say Link has the most personality in The Wind Waker; I’d describe him as rather jaunty in that title, and subsequent ones in that world. But if you recall The Wind Waker had a ton of backlash initially because it didn’t look as serious as people had hoped when riding on the coat-tails of Ocarina. Who we had come to believe Link was being reinterpreted.

The greatest example of how much the interactive experience fills in gaps is any game with a silent protagonist. While this is very prevalent in RPGs it can also bee seen in almost every genre of game. This character is almost always a tabula rasa with a majority of the dialog provided supporting characters, a few characters reacting to unsaid lines, or the protagonist’s minimal dialog. One one hand this allow almost complete self insertion or visualization. The player is either able to imagine themselves as the main character or  make a personality for the character out of whole cloth. This explains the popularity of characters like Master Chief and Link despite the fact that they are hardly verbose. Many RPGs so far as to have you name the character so that you truly can make the character your own. In and anime or manga a silent protagonist is almost utterly unforgivable. Even some of the most closemouthed heroes have their moments to shine with memorable lines and stories.

All forms of story that I enjoy, I want to be engrossed in, feel connected to it, be apart of. And that is the key, in a video game you are connected immediately because you are playing, you are in control. If you lose that inactivity, you’ve lost everything. But I don’t think that means you must refrain from creating fleshed out characters apart from the player. A title like Tales of Symphonia comes to mind for its little conversations that happen while traveling the world map giving everyone their own quirks. It isn’t really about uniqueness as much as the game telling you a bit of who they are. The danger zone seems to occur when a pre-existing character becomes too fleshed out at the expense of the experience, the reactions to the latest Metroid game for example. In any case, it is a balancing act. Do I want to know more, yes, but do I need to know more to think a game is excellent, probably not.

As much as I might seem to be very critical of video games I must point out that I often play and enjoy the stories and characters of many a video game. Every medium has its strengths and weakness as well as narrative techniques. The way that a book, graphic novel, movie, or game attach us to someone vary on how we interact with it. The level to which things are given to us and how much we have to fill in for ourselves changes our expectations and reactions to each medium. Even silent blank slate characters can connect deeply to an audience. Crono and Gordon Freeman are beloved characters making many a top ten list. Fighting game characters and the entire cast of the Touhou Project games are iconic despite the fact that we only learn a sliver of information about the cast in their games. Games like Mass Effect and the Ultima series are famous for their stories and characters. This is less a condemnation and more of an examination of the medium.

When I think about video game’s many fanbases, two passionate ones came to mind in regards to character development: Touhou fandom and the general fighting game community. Besides being very vocal and large groups, both of these territories have games where much of the story, lore, and characters are filled out by the fans themselves based on hints, small details, and of course character design provided by the actual games. Many times supplemental material is created later (or never), to varying degrees of success, but in the meantime plenty of discussions and fan-fiction go on. Of course these communities originated out of playing and enjoying the games, but have since grown to include vast other topics. It’s that interactivity that seems to allow characters to function at a different level in video games. The blanks don’t feel blank when you are playing.

While not revolutionary HeartCatch PreCure! was one of the best crafted magical girls series I have seen in quite a while. In many ways, Suite Precure the newest entry in the Pretty Cure franchise, has impossible shoes to fill. I have already seen some negative reactions to this series which I think is slightly unfair. With any series this long you are going to have your ups and downs and some parts are going to be so great that you could show them to anyone, some are going to be watchable only by super fans, but most will be in the middle.  Suite Precure is a simple show where evil bad guys want to capture magical notes to the ultimate song to plunge the world into despair. Hibiki and Kanade are two friends who are recruited by a talking cat to become magical girls and use the notes to make beautiful music together. To enjoy Suite Precure you must go in with reasonable expectations about it. If you are predisposed to magical girls shows I think that Suite Precure is enjoyable. The fights have the energy and fisticuffs the Precure series is famous for which is always very welcome. The main characters are simple but fun. On the other hand other than that it is all very formula and anyone who does not like or is burnt out on magical girl shows is not going to find much to be hooked on. I am curious to see if they will have the plot take any major turns. The series should run about 50 episodes so they have plenty of time to throw in a few curve balls if they want. If nothing else I am curious to see if they add any new girls as the show progresses. There is already a masked girl in the opening who looks like she could easily be a third Precure.

The first three episodes of Suite Precure are fairly typical magical girl fare done very straight-forward. Since I haven’t seen HeartCatch Precure, I don’t have any over-high expectations going into this new series. The world is all music-themed as should have been easy to guess, but it makes for some rather silly names throughout (i.e. the animosity between Major and Minor land). I was led to believe these Precures would be more like rivals and I imaged perhaps some face-offs and competition when trying to collect the notes that have been scattered across the land. But that is not the case, though I do find their strained friendship a little refreshing and not as generally displayed in these series but nevertheless important and true. I really enjoy that they have to transform together and attack in harmony. You can really see the push for understanding each other more so than normal through Suite Precure. At the moment Suite Precure is a good magical girl show, but not excelling in any direction yet. Though with a long run series that can sometimes come a bit later on.

There are a few games that I have always wanted to play but the cruel barrier of not knowing Japanese has kept me from jumping in. Last year I finally got to play a Sakura Wars game but there is even one series that I have wanted to play even more. I always joke that this is the Type-Moon and Galaxy Angel blog but I hardly talk about Galaxy Angel. Despite this my prayers were finally answered with a translation patch for the long running Galaxy Angel series. I am ecstatic to finally be able to sit down and play though the first game in the series. It like the previously mentioned Sakura Wars games this is a visual novel and strategy game hybrid. The bulk of the game is a story mode where you see the story and talk with characters but the meat of the game is your character commands fighters in real-time space battles. So far the battles have not been that hard but if I remember correctly the first game is considered the easiest. They are fun and a good break from all the dating sim elements but they will not tax anyone like they were playing StarCraft. The characters are mostly simple characters but I have always found them fun and energetic. They are moe before it was really cool to be moe so anyone who can’t stand that element in their games will despise this game. On the other hand my love for Forte is an easily documented fact but I enjoy the antics of all the characters in the game. If nothing else Tact remind me of Captain Tylor and that is no faint praise.  I did notice that there is a good deal of the crew of the ship that never appears in any of the spin-off material such as the ships doctor and chief mechanic. Since most of them are cute women I would have thought they would have been talked about more. I would like to thank the owner of Tenka Seiha for translating this and Moonlit Lovers which I will surely play when I am done with this. I really appreciate his efforts and the splendid job he has done. Also on the off-chance that anyone who runs a convention is reading this I have always wanted to see Kanan as a guest at a convention. I just figured I would throw that out there.

After reading the first two volumes of Otomen and knowing its popularity, I’m surprised it doesn’t have an anime yet. In any case, these books are a lot of fun and just over-the-top enough. It centers around manly Asuka who secretly likes cute things plus enjoys sewing and cooking. He ends up falling for Ryo who is a rather masculine and dense girl and they both end up wanting to protect the other. Inserted in the middle of this is playboy Juta who is a manga-ka writing his popular story, Love Chick, based on Asuka (but as a girl) unbeknownst to anyone but the audience. Yup, totally ridiculous in a very delightful way! Most of the stories revolve around Asuka trying to win Ryo’s affections. Some highlights include the times when he meets her dad. And Asuka is kinda too perfect to be believed because he is pretty manly even if he does get scared sometimes. I hope to pick up more soon!

After countless people recommended  it to me and enjoying Durarara!! I finally decided to watch Baccano!. Like Galaxy Angel it was thankfully something that lived up to the expectations I had going into it. The show has everything that made Durarara!! so good with none of the flaws of the second half of its successor. The show is a series of intertwined stories set mainly during the Roaring Twenties in America. Baccano! has quirky and somewhat psychotic but always fascinating characters, great action, wonderful twists, a cheeky sense of humor, and a very unique setting. I don’t want to spoil too much but there is some great supernatural action along side mysteries, crime drama, with a dash of romance. I guarantee there is at least once character that you will get attached to and for everyone that character will be someone different. There is a reason that it was one of the most recommended and universally loved shows for Secret Santa last year. This show is great for anime clubs and even some people who are not normally into anime. It is a show you should watch on Hulu if you have not already done so.

I read Jiro Taniguchi’s Ice Wanderer which incorporates some of Jack London’s life as well as his stories plus original narratives into an anthology of man vs. nature tales. Four take places in very cold weather environments such as the Yukon during the gold rush of the late 19th century. While one takes place at the seaside in the summer and then one more takes place in a city where I’m not sure of the season. This one in the city about a manga-ka doesn’t feel like it fits the theme of the book and as it takes place between stories it felt jarring. Despite that, each story is thoughtful and very harrowing (minus the manga-ka which has a different feeling all together).

If anyone knows me they know I could not resist making this the picture of the week:

A good deal of us put a lot of love into the characters that we like and there is no denying that sometimes it can go over the top. But that is neither here nor there in this case. There are grand ideas abound! Specifically, I am constantly wondering just how much the characters people like actually say about them. And I move in wide circles from thinking it is the window to someone’s soul to convincing myself it means absolutely nothing, and then back again. It would be egregious not to mention that I am thinking about the personalities of characters rather than looks. Frankly, looks tell me nothing about anyone, sure I may be able to pick out another character they enjoy on the surface but it doesn’t delve very deep.  Now who a character is, there there might just be something to be learned about someone. To further matters along in a fun way, we will be giving you a glimpse at some of the characters that are near and dear to us. Happy analyzing!

The first character type I tend to like is the strong but kind women like Kyoko from Maison Ikkoku. I like female characters that don’t take gruff are supportive at the same time. They may practice tough love at times but they are always looking out for the people they care for. They also tend to be a bit devious when needed but not maliciously so. Other examples would include Maria from Hayate the Combat Butler and Forte from Galaxy Angel. The second type of character I tend to like is spunky tomboys like Allenby from Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Fiery go getters that are as good as the guys if not better. They are not just boys in girl suits however. They should have a strong feminine aspect to them but they are just not fragile flowers that need to be protected. Paula Cis is another great example from After War Gundam X, as is Mion from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, and certain green-eyed monsters also fall into this category as well. Girls who use swords or guns are super extra bonus points. I also tend to like goofy and relaxed male characters that will fight for those they care about like Hayate from Hayate the Combat Butler. They are characters that are laid back and gentle but can be fierce when needed to be. They also tend to be the types that never give up on their dreams no matter what happens. Justy Ueki Tylor from The Irresponsible Captain Tylor and Loran from Turn A Gundam are other great examples.

Where to begin (and who to pick) was a little more of challenge in some cases because this isn’t just about my favorite characters, it is about characters that sort of epitomize traits that draw me in. Now, you might be saying to yourself, “Hey, now wait a minute, I see a tall, blond first thing.” However, while you are right that Tamaki (from Ouran High School Host Club) does indeed fall into a looks category that I hold in high regard, it is everything else about him that puts him on this list. I have waxed poetic about Tamaki before so I will try to keep it focused here. Above all else Tamaki is a positive and optimistic spirit who the more you learn about the more you realize has an attitude not born by having an easy life but rather from a conscious decision to not let circumstances define him. He is not embittered by life, he wants life to be lively and fun and he makes it so, he wants people to be happy and so helps them be just that. Shining darkly in the middle is Arashi (from X/1999) who has remained a fixture in my fandom for many, many years. Since everything about her is wonderful, it is hard to pinpoint the best piece. But I suppose I would say she is committed to her duty and fiercely powerful but she has a woman’s heart. It’s very beautiful the way love sort of worms its way into her heart and changes her. If you know anything about X, then you know it is full to the brim with cruel fate and Arashi’s (though still in limbo in the manga) is no exception but she faces it with wisdom beyond her years. And sitting gruffly on the end is Manji (from Blade of the Immortal). What is most powerful about his character is the things he has done are not honorable but he did them because he thought he should. He is a man who knows regret but he doesn’t apologize. Manji is a killer and he makes no bones about, nor does he ever pretend he is a good guy, but even so he is seeking a bit of redemption without really expecting to get it. There are certainly other types of characters I like, but not necessarily with as much depth.

An atypical character that I like is Mihoshi Kuramitsu from Tenchi Muyo!. She tends to be way more ditzy and fragile then I like my women. She is sort of the stereotypical dumb blonde. She is hardly take charge or any sort of powerhouse except for being extremely lucky. But for some reason I really think she is a fun character. I feel like I have to like her for some reason deeper than her character design. Am I just shallow but refuse to admit it or is there some deeper significance to why I like her? I personally think she goes against my standard character preferences but maybe I am just missing something.

A character I have trouble understanding my affection for is Allelujah (from Gundam 00). He is shy, reserved, and soft-spoken but he is also technically psychotic. He has a traumatic past and really has rollercoaster ride of hashing it out. And still none of these traits really seem to scream, “this is Narutaki’s type of character!” As with Hisui, I feel like there is some reason beyond the shallow that I like him, but I just can’t pinpoint it.

Normally on Reverse Thieves we tend to talk among ourselves and then share with you our conclusion. This time we are going to let the readers do the talking. What do you think the characters we like say about Narutaki and I? Do you think that our character choices say anything at all about us? We would love to see what you think. Also feel free to write what types of characters you like and get us and your fellow readers to try out some pop psychology. Also we will try this again next week with the flip side: What do characters we hate say about us?

I feel like just writing this helped me learn a bit about myself!