Top 5 Shojo Heroines I would Slap in the Face
Normally, I don’t like to bring the hate. Ok, no that’s not true. Anyway, I expressed how much I admire the shojo heroine last week and got lots of great comments. But some shojo heroines are too much for even me.
Here’s my top 5 Shojo Heroines that I would slap in the face!
1. Hatsumi from Hot Gimmick – on the outset this had all the makings of a fantastic series. Hatsumi covers for her maybe-pregnant younger sister. In exchange for the secret, she agrees to become the slave of the boss’s son. Sexy hijinks ensue?!?! Uh no. The younger sister is not pregnant and Hatsumi is a moron. What could have been a tension filled drama quickly becomes a cautionary fable of how to act like a spineless wimp. From what I hear it doesn’t end at all the way fans wanted it to either.
2. Nobara from Crimson Hero – I like spunky but Nobara takes it to annoying. She’s so naive that you begin to wonder if she’s been huffing paint between games.
3. Nana O. from Nana – I guess Nana O. isn’t technically “shojo”. I started out loving her. She was so cool! But somewhere along the line she became a needy, selfish, entitled little girl. Blech. I hope she can come back and I love this series so I’m sticking with her but I’m also putting her on notice.
4. Shakuya from Two Flowers for the Dragon – honestly, I don’t really know why I don’t like this heroine. But..I just…don’t. I will say that the artwork in this series is pretty great.
5. Sakura from B.O.D.Y. – another case of naivete gone overboard. Wake up!
What about you? Did I put your favorite on the list? Want to make a case for why I should hug instead of slap them? Did I miss anyone you would like to slap? Let’s get mean!
In Defense of the Shojo Heroine
When I first met T0hru Honda she was standing in a tent and I was curled up on my couch, searching for something to contribute to the library I had just been hired at. She was an orphan. I had just graduated library school. She needed a home and desperately wanted to please the men who allowed her to live with them. I had just moved through four states and desperately wanted to thrive at my job. We had nothing in common.
Ugh, who is this girl?, I thought. With her cloying sweetness and submissive nature I couldn’t understand why any teenager would want to read her story or worse, emulate her behavior. After all, this was America. Where our women kick ass, take names and would stomp all over Kyo the minute he pulled his pay attention to meeeee routine. Yet, for some reason, I couldn’t give up on Tohru anymore than she could give up on Kyo.
After a few volumes, I wasn’t just hooked on Fruits Basket, I was hooked on the shojo heroine. A couple years later when I first served on the Great Graphic Novels for Teens committee I would go to bat for women like Nana’s Hachi. The yasashi girl. I would admire these qualities in the young women that attended my monthly anime club meetings. They were a new generation, defining feminism and rearranging the cultural norms to fit their ideals.
So what makes the yasashi or “don’t rock the boat” girl so unappealing to our American sensibilities? Is it the idea that by bending to those around her she somehow gives up her individuality? But, these days, how overrated is individuality anyhow? What I notice is a woman who takes her strength from herself then offers that to her friends, her lovers, her parents and her community at large. The shojo heroine consciously makes the choice to be better every day.
It doesn’t always have the most obvious benefits to the character. Hachi’s romance with that jerk Takumi is an example of an unhealthy relationship perpetuated by Hachi’s “weak” sense of self. Yet, she stays for her child which is a much better reason than that of “strong” Nana who stays with her trainwreck Ren simply out of fear.
When standing beside a shojo heroine the ultimate goal is happiness for everyone. If they are happy, so will she be happy. And that, is not a bad thing. Yes, there are complications with the formula and I would have a hard time telling anyone to be as submissive as some of these characters are – yet, I can see how the shojo heroine would thrive in America if she were just given a chance. How her spirit can help pull others up and challenge everyone to be their best.
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Top 5 Manga Characters I would Hang out with In Real Life
I would really love to know fictional characters in their day to day lives. Mainly cause it would probably mean my day to day life was way more exciting. Here’s my top 5.
1. L – Death Note Sure Light might be charismatic and good looking. But L had a mystique and an intensity that made you wonder just what was really going on his head.
2. Ginji Amano – Getbackers His partner-in-crime Ban has better hair and is smoother, it’s true. Still, Ginji has such a big heart that he’s probably a better friend.
3. Nana O. – Nana Make me cool Nana!!!!
4. Yuko Ichihara – xxxHolic I just want to hang out with her to find out where she gets those amazing clothes.
5. Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin – Ouran High Host Club Getting two gorgeous, scheming men for the price of one – sign me up!
