I have to admit I like the 'mediocre' shoujo heroines.(of course, I also like the seinen Maison Ikkoku because the hero wasn't perfect either-he still gets the girl but it's not like he's the best preschool teacher in the world or some shit. ). I really can't relate to the most powerful beautiful woman in the universe, and I like wishfullfillment fantasies way better than power fantasies. Basically, I can't really imagine myself as someone who instantly is amazing at everything. I like to ease into the fantasy. Examples:
Ok, you're a ballet dancer, you're the best in your group, but you've fallen off the stage and into a slump. Enter a hot guy- all the sudden you win the Japan wide ballet championship, fill in for a world famous ballerina and have a wild time.(Forbidden Dance)
Or yea, you're a high school student. You're a good student, studying for your exams to get into college, but you are feeling a bit overwhelmed. Wouldn't you like to escape from that completely, get cool new pals, and become a world famous fashion model? (Paradise Kiss)
Or yea, you're a plain Jane. The boys at school ignore you. The girls make fun of you. Wouldn't you want to be super hot, get the hottest guy in the school,etc?(Doubt!)
Or even you're a regular middle class girl. Wouldn't you like to go to the most prestigious school around, hook up with the hottest guys, win a beauty contest and dunk on the guys?(Boys Over Flowers)
Now that's fantasy fulfillment. At first you're like 'what a clutz Usagi is! what a crybaby" and then you realize when the chips are down, she is the strongest woman in the universe. Maybe this can't be reconciled, but we could always have a Carla Kent/Powerfantasy girl duo. By day, she's horrible at math, and never gets the guy! But by night, she's Superfeminist! Sketchy guys bothering young girls? She beats them up. Catty anti feminists who work outside the home complaining that the rest of us work outside the home would have their nannies and maids diverted and have to work inside the home,etc.
And heck, she could even have her own harem of bishonen by the time we're through.
Ok, you're a ballet dancer, you're the best in your group, but you've fallen off the stage and into a slump. Enter a hot guy- all the sudden you win the Japan wide ballet championship, fill in for a world famous ballerina and have a wild time.(Forbidden Dance)
Or yea, you're a high school student. You're a good student, studying for your exams to get into college, but you are feeling a bit overwhelmed. Wouldn't you like to escape from that completely, get cool new pals, and become a world famous fashion model? (Paradise Kiss)
Or yea, you're a plain Jane. The boys at school ignore you. The girls make fun of you. Wouldn't you want to be super hot, get the hottest guy in the school,etc?(Doubt!)
Or even you're a regular middle class girl. Wouldn't you like to go to the most prestigious school around, hook up with the hottest guys, win a beauty contest and dunk on the guys?(Boys Over Flowers)
Now that's fantasy fulfillment. At first you're like 'what a clutz Usagi is! what a crybaby" and then you realize when the chips are down, she is the strongest woman in the universe. Maybe this can't be reconciled, but we could always have a Carla Kent/Powerfantasy girl duo. By day, she's horrible at math, and never gets the guy! But by night, she's Superfeminist! Sketchy guys bothering young girls? She beats them up. Catty anti feminists who work outside the home complaining that the rest of us work outside the home would have their nannies and maids diverted and have to work inside the home,etc.
And heck, she could even have her own harem of bishonen by the time we're through.
3 Comments:
I suspect the differences between "girl" and "boy" manga with regards to power fantasy or "mediocre" have a lot to do with the way that men and women view success and failure.
(This is American research, but from what I know of modern Japanese culture, I'd expect to see much the same pattern:)
Girls and Women are more likely to attribute their success to others, but take the blame for their failures. Boys and Men are more likely to take credit for their success, but blame others for their failures.
I can see how men and boys who think that way would see a character as compelling only if he was extraordinary. I can also see how women and girls who think that way would have a hard time relating to an extraordinary character.
I like "medicore" heroines myself - although I especially like the kind that start out as ordinary, and then find out they really aren't.
Nara, yea, I feel a lot of pressure to be the best, to be amazing, don't be mediocre, and so to me, it's soothing to see someone who isn't amazing still save the day/get the guy
Mickle, that may be socialization, but it would impact story style- it's like how superhero comics are- the main character is super amazing, and their downfall is almost always because of external forces, which is ok, but it gets harder and harder to escalate the drama after a while, which is why I prefer shoujo manga- it's easier to keep the drama going when it's smaller scale.
"Mickle, that may be socialization,"
IJust to clarify - think it's mostly or all socialization - that's why I made the remark about culture.
Post a Comment
<< Home