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!

Suddenly, my top 10 fictional guys.

After watching the Nostalgia Chick's Top Ten "Hottest" Animated Guys, the consistent characteristic that most girls find "hot" in a guy is apparently, a "project" - the stereotypical "bad guy" with a heart of gold that we ladies can love and nurture and ~change~ into an all around perfect guy.

Okay, it was a little more detailed than that - there were nice guys and good-looking guys there too, but as a whole, bad boys (or men) was one of the clearer themes. I usually am one of those who think the "girls love bad boys" trope is just an overexaggerated theme that everyone mistakenly believes, but seeing the list, I suppose bad boys ARE attractive to a good chunk of women after all. (Really?! Frollo?! I worry for the fellow women.)

Which made me list my top ten list and see what I find attractive in a man. I expanded the critera to include all nerdy media, and I also have no cutoff date, so my fictional crushes range from innocent childhood crushes to not-as-innocent adolescent crushes. I wouldn't have had ten characters otherwise! Soooo, here they are...

10) Kuro-bon/Black bomber from Bomberman Bidaman Bakugaiden, season 1 and 2

Goodbye, my dignity.

YES, I USED TO CRUSH ON A FUCKING BOMBERMAN.
AAAAARGH.
This is so very embarrassing to admit you don't even know. Even when I crushed on him at the age of TEN I thought it was embarrassing as hell. Who the hell gets attracted to a blobby thing with no mouth and stubby flesh-colored limbs?!
This is why you should never watch anything out of habit: you WILL find someone to like.

HOT factor:

• He's the "cool one" - stoic, powerful, and... yes, dark and brooding (he did have a legitimate reason to angst in season 1, he was searching for his missing brother who may or may not be evil and/or dead). I liked him less when he had no reason to angst and was still dark and brooding in season 2.
• He was the best-looking one out of all the other blobby bombermen. Yeah, when you have no mouths and a weird anatomy, this will be the definition of handsome. 
• Also, he had a cape. Capes are cool.

9) Drago from Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger

Apparently it's so obscure, this is just about what turns up on Google.
Obviously, Drago is the dragon on the right.

Apparently almost no one in the US have heard of this show. But if you were a Korean kid in the 90's, you definitely remembered this show. Hell, this show alone probably taught a generation of Korean kids the order of the Chinese Zodiac. I can still sing the entire Korean opening song for this. This show is awesome, end of story.

HOT factor:

• He was calm and collected in most situations, and he seemed to be among the most mature ones in the entire cast. 
• He was also one of the strongest; he can into a REAL DRAGON as a power-up, and then he breathes fire and controls the weather and have huge wings and everything! What's not to like?
• Also, DAT TURBAN. Turbans are cool.

8) Lance from Pokemon Special manga

This is not the Lance from your wimpy Pokeyman games! >:D

Indeed the one I crushed on was the one from the manga adaptation. This Lance is not just the boss of the Elite Four. His agenda is to kill all the humans (except those he deems are "good") because they are destroying the environment and inadvertently killing Pokemon. Yes, he was an environmentalist of the most extreme and nutty sort.

HOT factor:

• Although his reason for wanting to wipe out humanity is batshit, you get to see where he is coming from, He had to helplessly watch his beloved Pokemon die from pollution. He couldn't do anything to save his friends, you saw his horror, anguish, and eventually anger. Evil as he is, you gotta admire how steadfast he is in his motivation and insane agenda. This is a man who is faithful to his principles.
• Being the leader of the Elite Four, Lance is an immensely powerful Pokemon trainer.
• He's a handsome man. A sociopathic man, but still handsome.
• DAT CAPE. The cape alone probably added 20% of the appeal. That is one FABULOUS CAPE. And then he has a red leather jacket underneath that cape. How fashionable!

7) Hatsuharu Sohma from Fruits Basket

AKA one of the most mood whiplash manga ever. The first half is a lighthearted comedy with some heartwarming moments, until you go to the second half and find out everyone, EVERYONE in the story needs therapy. Also, they turn into animals.

HOT factor:

• He dresses nice and has white and black hair. Pretty cool.
• He is spacey and directionally challenged and so chill about everything, it's adorable. Until he gets mad and goes on a rampage. Then it's funny.
• Most importantly, he is faithful and loving. His family head doesn't want him to date Rin, and they physically and emotionally abuse both Haru and Rin. And Rin already has enough traumatic issues to deal with. And yet, no matter how much his girlfriend pushes him away (so that he won't get hurt) and suffers from her past, he is always there, being a moral support, constantly loving her and believing in her. SUCH A GREAT GUY.

6) Link from Legend of Zelda

I didn't quite know where to place him - I mostly crushed on Link based on the Legend of Zelda manga adaptations, rather than playing the games. Somehow it didn't feel "legit". But Link came much easier to mind than Haru did, so he's #6.


HOT factor:

• He's good-looking.
• He wields an awesome sword and he knows how to use it!
• Personality-wise he's a bit bland since he's supposed to be a blank "avatar" that we relate to, but Link's general personality is supposed to be brave, determined, and virtuous. These are good traits.

5) Suoh from CLAMP Academy Detectives

Do they look like elementary kids to you?
Also, Suoh is the kid with blue hair

While I like this series, you gotta admit it's WEIRD AS HELL. They're elementary school students whose brain/fighting/cooking skills are superhuman and match the most skilled adults. They go to an extremely rich school-city and solve cases in order to "make women happy". The two younger boys (3rd and 4th grade repectively) are in a relationship with KINDERGARTEN GIRLS. Try reading that last sentence without making some sort of "Oh god why" face. Thankfully, everything about this series is wholesome and innocent and PG, otherwise I would have dropped this like a hot potato.

HOT factor:

• He is incredibly skilled in multiple martial arts.
• He is the quiet and stoic one.
• He is also the bodyguard for Yellow-hair on his right, and he will protect his patron with his LIFE. And he will forever stay a loyal bodyguard and confidant. HE WILL PROTECT YOU FOREVER.
• Even with all his fighting, he is still romantic enough to fall in love with a girl who plays a flute under the cherry blossom tree. D'awww.

4) Knuckles the Echidna from Sonic the Hedgehog

I only have one thing to say.
DON'T JUDGE ME KNUCKLES WAS MY FAVORITE AS A CHILD OKAY

HOT factor:

• He can glide and climb on walls and he's strong.
• NICE SHOES. Yes, they look like Legoes. I see no problem with this.
• He lives on a floating island.
• He has to forever guard a shiny green rock to prevent his island from sinking. He has a given duty, and he will fulfill his duty under any circumstances. VERY RESPONSIBLE.
• The naiivety that comes due to his isolated situation is kind of endearing. (Until SEGA butchered him into a dumbfuck who punches walls with an unhealthy green rock attachment, anyway.)
• He has a NICE HAT in one of the anime adaptations:

LOOK AT THAT HAT.

3) Rei from Beyblade

Above from season 2, below from season 1.

YES, I ALSO CRUSHED ON A CHARACTER FROM A TOP-SPINNING CARTOON.
AAAAAAAAAAAARGH.
At least this is less embarrassing to admit than FUCKING BOMBERMAN. I think what amuses me about this series is the inconsistent art style among all three seasons. Was it so hard to agree on a design you liked?

HOT Factor:

• He's mature and level-headed.
• Cool costume, cool hairstyle, looks adorable.
• He's skilled with the art of plastic top-spinning (and it has a white tiger motif! cool.)
• He's faithful to those he loves - friend turned against you? Friend/crush got brainwashed and attacking you? Teammate joined the Russians to defeat you? REI WILL STILL LOVE YOU. Moreover, he will try to help you get back to normal and be good friends again.
• He looks ridiculously pretty when his hair is down. All that long, silky black hair billowing in the wind! To my shock, Google image search does not have decent pictures of Rei with his hair down.

2) Wild Tiger/Kotetsu T. Kaburagi from Tiger and Bunny

YOUR EYES ARE SO SHINY.

I have already professed my love for the man in an earlier blog post. And even after the show is over, he still remains very high on my list. Best superhero ever.

HOT factor:

• WHY IS HE SO RIDICULOUSLY HANDSOME THIS IS CHEATING.
• Very stylish, even has a NICE HAT to boot.
• Extremely fit and agile. Have you seen him run around in civillian mode?
• Even with his minding everyone's business, he is understanding and will kindly leave you alone if you need to be alone. Otherwise HE WILL BE THERE BY YOUR SIDE AND BE THE BEST LIFE COACH EVER.
• He only ever wants to help those in need.
• He is also very faithful to his friends, family, and especially his late wife.

1) Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist

I am so very biased, but Fullmetal Alchemist still remains one of my most favorite manga series ever. Solid plot, well-developed characters, orignial universe, good art. It's just the best. I can only dream of creating such a wonderful story as this series have.

HOT factor:

• He can fight well.
• He's not bad looking at all. And he's pretty damn well built.
• He's a genius. Literally. He was smart enough to be a state alchemist, an intelligence post at the military, at the age of twelve. BRAINS ARE SEXY.
• Has a dashing red coat and rocks a man-braid.
• Even if you knock him down he will rise again. His determination is undefeatable. Which is pretty cool, until you realize he had to put up a brave front so as to not let down the ones he love. SO MUCH LOVE.
• He loves and respects his family, friends, and acquaintances, and HE WILL PROTECT THEM.

So there it is. If I were to find a similarity among all my fictional crushes, it would roughly be something like:

1. Good combat skills
2. Dashing good looks
3. Fashionable
4. Loyal
5. Responsible
6. Mature

SEE? Not all girls are into the "bad boy" archetype. If anything, I find respectable men attractive! Well that, and they're handsome and good at martial arts, of course.

The end!

I have a crush on a fictional man, among other things

My past blog entries have been unnecessarily gloomy as of late, as well as dull. Upon wondering why, I realize that I have been introspecting way too much. While gloomy introspection makes a good time to reflect oneself, it makes a horribly boring entry along with the background music of the smallest violin in the world. So here's some lighthearted stuff.

1. Geeky love

Some people will sigh happily and obsess over movie stars (living or dead), others will swoon over idol singers (living or... well, dead) and their pretty man-ness of it all. Meanwhile, I have devoted my fan love to an animated character.

Kotetsu T. Kaburagi/Wild Tiger from Tiger and Bunny.

 I spent over an hour trying to find a decent screenshot of him. I have officially lost all my sanity.


Like some contrived romantic comedy film plot, my encounter with this show has been purely coincidental, a passing curiosity, merely deciding to watch a few episodes thinking, "Well, it doesn't hurt to watch an episode or two".

And then it ended up being my biggest animated obsession in a while.

I will spare the review of the show and its merits in this entry and just say that I now have an immense and irrational crush on a fictional thirty-something old man. I thought this would be less silly than girls who scream in delight over corporate-manufactured pretty boys or rebellious hunks on the silver screen, but no, it's not. It just makes me seem geekier.

I cannot help it; this man is full of dorky adorableness with a good dose of heart, a dash of seriousness, and a sprinkle of slight resignation that the universe is conspiring against him. He also has a penchant of patting all the other characters on the head affectionately, which gives me massive brownie points.

It also helps that he has good fashion sense and a NICE HAT. And is really good looking. I want that hat.

Even if my dignity of a college student tries to stay calm, I cannot help grinning like an idiot and try not to burst into a fangirl scream of delight while watching the show. I can hear Robert laughing at me all the way from Japan. But oh god he's so dreamy aaaaaaaah.

I mean just look at the man.

At least I didn't upload the one screenshot where he is shirtless.

2. Green tea ice cream.

Clearly, this is one of those magical foods that you can't help but fall in love with. After much cravings for good quality green tea ice cream, I decided to make them myself, now that I finally have matcha powder.

It was successful, and it is most delicious.

And once again I realize how much a good food can make you feel better.

My freezer is also temporarily hosting a batch for Andrew, which I will give to him soon. Judging from licking its remnants on the spoon, Andrew's batch tastes much more creamier and well-blended, while mine is slightly rougher and tastes more of matcha. It must be the consistency of whipped cream.

In terms of "Younjoo-scale", I would give the ice cream a 4.5/5. I only hope that the unbelievably stingy "Andrew-scale" would find it palatable. I hope other people will get to have a little bit of it as well, as I am curious about other people's evaluations. because I'm egotistical and want some more praise, as I believe the ice cream came out well.


3. Reading

Although it's been a slow, slow progress (the Internet is much too distracting), I've been picking up several books and so far, I've enjoyed the experience. It has been a while since I read books for leisure and become immersed in them. I need to cut myself off from the Internet more often this summer so I can actually finish the books I've checked out.

There, hasn't this been much more cheerful and interesting to read?
Y's Babbles will come back with potentially more interesting stuff to write as Restaurant Week is here and hopefully I will eat out with company.

P.S. I have also read this entry through and had to edit it three times. I need better proofreading skills.

Goodbye, Little Alchemist.

I knew that this day would come sooner or later, and I awaited for the end of Fullmetal Alchemist feeling both excited and sentimental. After I had read the final chapter, I was left with a humongous grin on my face and a slight, a very, very slight moist in my eyes, undetectable to anyone who'd peer at my face that moment. (If I were more emotional, I probably would have cried.)

I won't say it was perfect, but it was a very strong chapter as always, and I was gazing at every panel and every drawing with minute attention, trying to hold on as much as I could before the end. And when I went through it all, I was immensely satisfied and also felt a little empty. One of my life's biggest happiness... finished.

There's much more I'd like to write, but I can't seem to type more - either because it would be a spoiler, or because I don't know how to organize all the thoughts racing in my mind properly.

So goodbye, Fullmetal Alchemist. Your story was riveting, your characters were wonderful to relate to, and It's been a great few years laughing and (not quite) crying and gasping in horror, sadness, and sheer brilliance. Thanks for doing that.

Adios!