[Endscape]

Originally Posted by cedec0

Before my rant about Claire Rouge, I just want acknowledge that:

1) I have only read the volume 1 (and a little of volume 2), and I know that Claire will take a lesser role in later volumes. (if this wasn't the case, I would stop reading at this point)

You should probably stop reading now then. Having read all the volumes, I don't know where this nonsense about Claire getting a lesser role comes from. True, there are volumes that she is less focused on, because other characters take the spotlight, but it isn't as if her role got smaller. The main plot of the series up to now is strongly connected to Claire, and volumes 9 and 10 are quite Claire centric.

1) Making a tree fall on top of herself

True, she shouldn't have been using Flametongue in the forest like that, though she was doing well until Kamito surprised her. everyone makes mistakes, and she wouldn't have made that mistake if Kamito wasn't there, so you can't really count that against her.

2) Angering a sealed spirit (that she had no hope of contracting)

She didn't set out to anger Est, and it's not as if she had no hope of contracting her. Considering Claire's skill as an elementalist, if t wasn't for Est's own issues, it might have worked.

3) Charging towards a demon spirit (that she had no hope of contracting)

Again, it's not like she had no hope, since Greyworth and Sjora Kahn managed it. You are right that it was stupid to charge at it like that. she herself admits it.

4) Letting her spirit become frienzied and attack its master

I'm starting to think you're a troll. Claire didn't let Scarlet get frenzied, she thought Scarlet was dead at that point. Add to that, she settled the situation in quite a cool way. That scene is why I started liking Claire actually.

2) Claire Rouge displays "too-stupid to live" level intelligence

She never learns from her (lethal) mistakes, making the same retarded decisions again and again

Nonsense. Claire's whole character arc is her learning from her mistakes and not repeating them.

Retarded_Decision: In order "to get a strong spirit", she tries to make a contract with a sealed spirit, somehow thinking she will succeed where dozens of stronger elementalists have failed.
Result: DEATH (but is saved by male lead)

Again, nonsense. Just because other people have tried and failed doesn't mean that she will. If people thought like that, no one would do anything. Claire's talent, skill and determination are above that of the average Academy student, and she is quite desperate.

Retarded_Decision: In order "to get a strong spirit", she tries to make a contract with a demon spirit, somehow thinking she will succeed where ALL OTHERS HAVE FAILED.
Result: DEATH (but is saved by male lead)

Again, it's not like it had a 0% percent chance of working. As Claire herself said, it was stupid though.

Retarded_Decision: In order "to get a strong spirit", she enters a blade dance without a spirit (simply retarded).
Result: DEATH (but is saved by male lead)

Perhaps you should reread. Claire did have a spirit with her, the one Restia gave her. She wasn't using it at first, probably out of pride and affection for Scarlet, which is still kind of stupid, but not s stupid as what you said.

This is "too-stupid to live" level intelligence, and it just isn't fun to read about a character that:

3) Lets herself be fooled by characters she has no reason to trust (Rinslet tells Claire that: "To enlarge her breasts, it was best to get a gentleman she likes to rub them." and she believes this!)

More nonsense.

Firstly, Claire and Rinslet, even if they don't want to admit it, are best friends,so she certainly has a reason to trust her.

Secondly, the whole massaging thing is a typical anime trope, along with drinking milk, etc. Considering Claire's complex about her size (another typical anime trope), it's not weird that she believed it, especially considering that was a comedy scene.

3) Claire Rouge makes the male lead seem MASOCHISTIC AND PATHETIC.

Claire treats the male lead like shit, calls him a slave, and physically abuses him on a regular basis for no good reason. Since the male lead has NO COMPELLING REASON TO STAY BY HER SIDE, the fact that he choses to do so makes him seem MASOCHISTIC AND PATHETIC. ("MASOCHISTIC" is NOT a good trait for male leads.)

I CRINGE every time the I read a line like:

"It's nothing, Greyworth always uses me. On top of that, Claire gives me the slave treatment. Even if such people increase by one or two, it makes no difference."

Claire treating Kamito like that is typical romcom tsundere fare. Due to her traumatic past, she's too insecure and afraid to just ask Kamito to be her partner/friend, in case he rejects her.

As for why he hangs around her, it's because he likes her and can't leave her alone. Perhaps not a smart or rational reason, but then interpersonal relations, especially the romantic kind, aren't all about rationality. If you avoid your double standard and look at all Kamito's relationships with girls in the series, you'd see he has no compelling reason to be around any of them, except Restia. Think a little about that.

As for Claire being violent, perhps you haven't heard of it, but that's called slapstick comedy.

4) Claire Rouge is a HORRIBLY FLAWED Shana clone (see http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ShanaClone)

If you are going to rip off a character, AT LEAST DO A GOOD JOB OF IT! Just compared Shana's and Claire Rouge's character traits:

Complete nonsense. Firstly, Claire cannot be a 'horribly flawed' Shana Clone, since a Shana Clone is just a short, flat chested tsundere, with a few superficial personality traits in common, all of which are used in comedy.

Claire Rouge's character traits:

STRONG_NEGATIVE: increadibly weak (compared to main character, villains, etc) To make it worst, she COMPLAINS endlessly about how weak she is.

True, she's not as strong as Kamito, or other top level elementalists, like Leonora, etc. But objectively speaking, she's quite strong

STRONG_NEGATIVE: Incompetent to the point of absurdity. (Making a tree fall on top of herself, making suicidal decisions on a regular basis, etc)
STRONG_NEGATIVE: "too-stupid to live" level intelligence. (She never learns from her (lethal) mistakes, making the same retarded decisions again and again)
STRONG_NEGATIVE: Selfish (her primary motive for treating the male lead like shit is that she wants to restore her family's name)

I've already debunked this nonsense above.

STRONG_NEGATIVE: Petite, undeveloped body JUSTIFICATION: None, she simply fails as a woman

Rubbish. Firstly, there are many people, in Japan and in the West that find Claire's body type to be beautiful. Secondly, it's quite misogynistic of you to say she 'fails' as a woman because she doesn't fit your idea of female beauty.

STRONG_NEGATIVE: Arrogant JUSTIFICATION: None, someone as weak, incompetent, and stupid as Claire has no right to be arrogant.

As I've said earlier, though she's not as good at fighting as Kamito or other top level elementalists, she's far above average. She's certainly in the Academy's Top 5, which is reason enough to get arrogant. She also gets good grades and is skilled at spirit magic, tactics, etc.

STRONG_NEGATIVE: Socially ackward JUSTIFICATION: None, she is just a bitch

You really ought to reread. Claire is socially awkward because, her sister is the Empire's worst criminal, her parents are in in jail, she lost her title, lands and money and just about everyone blames her for what her sister did. Anyone would be socially awkward under those conditions

STRONG_NEGATIVE: Violence towards male lead JUSTIFICATION: None, she is just a bitch
STRONG_NEGATIVE: Ice Queen JUSTIFICATION: None, she is just a bitch
STRONG_NEGATIVE: Sub-human Treatment of male lead JUSTIFICATION: None, she is just a bitch

I've already debunked this nonsense, see above.