Duty and Desire: what drives Chitanda?

In part two of our series on Chitanda Eru, we take a look at the reasons why Chitanda behaves as she does. What compels this girl to do as much as she can for people? Why is she so eager to please and be earnest with what she does? I feel her actions are mostly driven by her role as the future Chitanda family head and the upbringing that was likely associated with it. Not only that, but Chitanda is a person with a great sense of duty, which drives her to do whatever she needs to in order to get a job done. Together, these two parts of Chitanda’s being produce an inexorable desire to please others.

I highly recommend reading Ibu’s article on Chitanda’s two personas either before or after this. The articles were written with each other in mind, so they share a lot of ideas and fit together nicely.

The Public and Private Me: Chitanda or Eru?

In this two-part series discussing Chitanda Eru, Dan and I will each be sharing our thoughts on her character and why she is the way she is in Hyouka. I’ll be focusing on the significance of Chitanda’s public and private persona in contributing to her overall character, and Dan will be delving deeper into other aspects of her character in his article.

Chitanda has always, for me, been associated very closely to Image. Houtarou’s earliest opinions of her revolve around imaginations/images (dog, angel, entangling hair, her in the hot springs) instead of a clear, direct and genuine look at who she really is. He relates whatever he knows about her to a perceived notion or a blatant exaggeration in most cases in the beginning.

The Watcher and the Watched: Shinsekai Yori (First Impressions)

The Fall 2012 season (which throws Dan back to March; cursed Australia) has been fairly promising so far. Of the many series we’re currently following, Shinsekai Yori has really won us over. In particular, the world it has established, with a seemingly omnipresent government, has captivated both of us.

Multiplicity, Duality and Identity in Persona 3

an analysis of P3(P)

I have always been intrigued by the messages Persona 3 has presented us and while I hardly have sufficient knowledge on Freud, psychology or mythology, I do think that we are still able to grasp a few concepts the game portrays without referring back to them. This analysis covers the portrayal of human nature, relationships and the symbolism behind the game mechanics in Persona 3. There are already tons of sufficient and well–written articles on the mythology and tarot motifs in the series, so I hope that this will be a good change from the norm. It also makes reference to P3P (the only P3 game I’ve actually played) and will not be spoiler free.

If I don’t acknowledge it, it doesn’t exist: gender roles and obsession in Accel World

Accel World just finished airing with obvious sequel bait. As a series, I found it quite entertaining. Production values were high, the action was slick and fast paced and the soundtrack was pretty killer. But why was I unable to engage with a large portion of the core cast? The answer: Brain Burst.  And to top it all off, a nice serving of female disempowerment. So while Accel World did succeed on many fronts, it failed in what I consider the most important, its characters.

All Love Rivals are Evil (unless male): on blatant sexism and vilification in shoujo

Few shoujos avoid vilifying the love rival to a certain extent. Even Kimi Ni Todoke, a series that has garnered a large readership (for good reason), is guilty of this. Kurumi is introduced as a villain rather than a character in the story in my personal opinion (her later development is subversive and stunning but does not erase the fact that she was introduced as a villain). The only shoujos I have read that don’t vilify the female love rival off the bat are ‘Strobe Edge’ and ‘Heroine Shikkaku’. Most others portray the love rival in an antagonistic way because they oppose the heroine’s romance, and most readers end up dismissing the love rival because of the way she is presented. The upsetting trend in all of this is that the love rival is always evil, always female, and always disliked by the majority of the active/vocal fandom.

Rolo and Lelouch: was their final exchange a lie?

Ever since I finished Code Geass, I’ve wondered about the sincerity of the final exchange between the Lamperouge brothers. How genuine were Lelouch’s words? And so by asking that question, we ask what exactly was the nature of their relationship? Please be warned, spoilers for Code Geass ahead!

Manga Spotlight: Lesser Known Girls

The typical formula that makes up a shoujo is this: A heroine, a love interest, a love rival, and hurdles to overcome in a relationship. It’s usually a story about a young girl and love, and when we talk about memorable shoujo, the most stunning, heartwarming and beautifully written stories comes to mind. We have older, ‘classic’ series like Fruits Basket and Sailor Moon, and more recent works that show as much heart and thought like Strobe Edge, Ao Haru Ride, Kimi ni Todoke. What do all of these popular series have in common that have allowed them rise to the pinnacle of this genre? Character might be the answer. Instead of merely presenting the conflict and the love interest, I feel that a lot of the more successful shoujos focus immensely on character development and realism, comedy and well-timed drama.

That being said, I feel like some other shoujos also deserve to get honorable mentions in this list of wonderful heroines and their love. So I’m getting to the crux of this post – underappreciated shoujos that you have to read at least once!

The Problematic Portrayal of the Yamato Nadeshiko (in Hibi Chouchou)

Before I share my views, I have to tell you that I did enjoy reading some parts of Hibi Chouchou! It is a very light and calming read about a shy boy and a shy girl, and their awkward attempts to communicate with each other are very comedic and heartwarming. That being said, Chouchou is far from being a manga that I can personally commend. While I think the relationship dynamic between the heroine and her love interest is well-enacted, I feel that it sorely fails in the individual character department.

Fuku-chan and his identity crisis

Hyouka 16 saw Satoshi’s struggle to solve the Juumonji incident and show the world his brilliance continue. Alas, the episode wasn’t kind to him; Satoshi slipped further into despair and ultimately gave up on his quest, leaving Houtarou to solve the mystery, as per usual.