And top 7 fictional girls

Since I made an entry about fictional guys, I thought perhaps I could try making an entry on fictional girls.

My relationship with fictional girls are a bit different with that of fictional guys, namely because I am a probably mostly heterosexual girl and did not have that many girlcrushes. Also, I don't have as many favorite girl characters compared to guy characters. Make of that what you will.

After contemplating shortly on why I liked the characters I liked, the affection usually came in four varieties.

1. Girls who I identified with

These are the characters who had one or more similar traits as I did, and I loved them because they were like me, but awesomer! Who wouldn't like to identify with cool characters?

Sailor Jupiter from Sailor Moon

Identifiable factor:

• She's a tomboy.
• Realistic hairstyle: a single ponytail.
• She likes cooking. Cooking is fun.

Awesome factor:

• She's super tough and won't take no shit from no one.
• She's still conventionally attractive but not in a girly-girl way.
• THUNDER POWER.

Claudia Kishi from The Babysitters Club series

Identifiable factor:

• Asian (You know what? Putting a token Asian in a predominantly White cast TOTALLY WORKS. You become aware that the Asian is well, ASIAN, and you pay attention to the character whether you like him/her or not. It's like a goddamned light attracting bugs at night.)
• Artistic
• Insatiable sweet tooth

Awesome factor:

• Fashionable
• Silky long hair 
• Clear complexion and thin figure despite stuffing her face with sugar every day. (LIES!!!)

2. Girls who I want to be like

The categories are pretty self-evident. When you look at them on screen (or paper), you sigh wistfully, and wish that you could be just like them. Simple as that.

Lina Inverse from Slayers series

Awesome factor:

• Really powerful soceress
• Cool cape (I love cool capes, I cannot lie...)
• Tough, simple, hungry for money and food. This is a lady who is honest with herself and doesn't need to act like something she isn't to prove herself.

(The only thing that baffles me is her constant angst about her apparently tiny breasts. Um, Lina, honey? Those are normal-sized breasts. They're not "flat as a board". The joke would only work if, you know, you didn't have AVERAGE BOOBS to begin with!)

Zelda from The Legend of Zelda series

Awesome factor:

• Graceful and elegant
• Is very wise
• In some versions, she can transform into a ninja-warrior type alter ego.

3. Girls who invoke a protective instinct

Some girls I can't help but like because they stir a type of protective instinct in me. These are the girls you want to give a big hug and promise that you'll protect them forever and ever. I'm... not sure why I feel that way for certain frailer characters. I don't think the feelings are particularly romantic... perhaps I just like being a sort of knight figure to others.

Tohru Sohma from Fruits Basket

Protective factor:

• Infinitely kind and caring, but hides her own sadness and problems.
• Self-sacrificial
• Rather innocent and ditzy
• Reminds me of one of my good friends, who was just like Tohru in almost every way and I wanted to protect her forever and ever.

Skyward Sword version Zelda

Okay, maybe this is sort of cheating since I'm listing Zelda twice, but the distinction must be made. This version of Zelda is rather different.

Protective factor:

• Oh god you're so waifish and adorable! Those shoulders are so thin and tiny!
• Cheerful and innocent
• Kind and caring
• Will defend you against bullies. Sweet as she may be, she is no sheep or doormat.

4. Girlcrushes

These are the characters that are just so awesome that you just kind of revel at their majesty. You may want to be like them, but you know you don't even have half of what it takes to be remotely like them, so you just... crush on them.

Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist

Two things first:
1. All the female FMA characters are all sorts of awesome, but she's here because she is the fiercest... or highest-ranking, or well, she is very memorable.
2. So apparently "Olivier Mira" is the official romanization. Sigh... I still think Olivia sounds more natural for a lady's name. But whatever.

Awesome factor:

• She's a major general. In a military-state where men dominate the high-ranking positions. Think about how much power she has or what she had to do to get there. Damn.
• Really strong and isn't afraid of anything
• Fierce and commanding
• Cold and merciless to enemies. She will take no shit from you. Ever.
• Extremely practical and has high standards ("survival of the fittest"!)
• Quick and adaptable
• Even with how strong she is, she realizes the value of her men and is supportive and protective of them, and thus has their undying loyalty. Think Mama Bear.
• This is a character with layers: quoting fmawiki, she is "a deceptively caring and selfless individual, prone to taking great risks in order to protect the lives and well-being of those who have placed their trust in her." Squee.

Um... I guess I only really ever had one major girlcrush, but that's it!