Quote:
Originally Posted by Napoleon's Hat
It's funny you mentioned Haruhi, because I always thought the early chapters of Medaka were Haruhi done right. Probably because Medaka is a much more likeable character than Haruhi (positive and quirky vs. bossy and snobby), and I thought the stories were much better written. Seeing her being so good at everything that it worked against her was entertaining. Infact, you could argue that she won during the swim meet because the judo club was one of her pet projects, and she was trying to help Kikaijima. Her plans are so perfect that they don't make sense. She's not brilliant bordering on crazy, she's crazy because she's so brilliant.
I also believe the characters interacted with each other better when this was a comedy.
Zen worked as a character because he was self-aware, and know how ridiculous everything was. That's how the character related to him. He was like a more proactive Kyon.
As for Medaka liking Zen, I still think the only reason she said that is because she had just finished reflecting on what a good friend Zen had been to her. She relied on him to keep her grounded. She may not be able to fall in love doesn't mean she can't appreciate people. Akune and Kikaijima's reactions probably have to do with how passionate Medaka is about such things. Remember, she kissed Kikaijima before.
I think the shipper mentality makes people see things that aren't there.
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'Haruhi done right' = rather boring, to be honest. There's a reason dramas feature imperfect characters - perfect ones aren't interesting, don't have flaws which make them relatable or even understandable, and people HATE those who are better than they... which is why they try to pull down anyone who even has the appearance of perfection, explaining why reality TV and celebrity gossip rags are so popular.
And I read the early chapters more for her fanservice than anything else to start, especially after her perfection started to get grating in Chapter 2 or 3. The 'hated by animals' flaw was a step towards making her less of a 'Mary Sue' and more of a character, as it showed a non-perfect side which was both relatable and not-annoying. The Swim Meet was another time when she got to show off both her strengths AND weaknesses, which made her less grating than she could be.. especially since one of Haruhi's main problems as a character is that EVERYTHING goes her way, the way she wants it, and it means that her jerkass behaviour is self-reinforcing since it always works.
I had the same issues with Medaka early on - her perfection and the way she made her beliefs work on others was... well, once is fine. Every time, on the other hand, is annoying, especially in situations where the other character has an equally strong opinion which is completely opposite of Kurokami's position, only to relent and go along with her motivations (see the Kendo Club). Thus it was kinda refreshing to see characters who refused to go along with her ideas (such as that idiot Unzen, and the rest of the 13 class), and who refuse to bow down to her ideals.
Also, I'd argue against Zenkichi being a more proactive Kyon - yes, he could express the irritation of the audience when Medaka was being perfect, but at the same time he himself was a bit too abnormal to be 'normal' and totally relatable. Kyon goes along with things because he knows that, if he doesn't, Haruhi will be totally unmanageable and thus prone to doing something stupid that'll wreck reality - Zenkichi goes along with Medaka because, while he acknowledges the ridiculousness of the situation, he believes she's right in what she thinks and is there more for color commentary and to provide exposition than to be a character to relate to.
Now, the battle scenes I could definitely do without, but the conflict between characters is providing a bit more 'story' than the series previously had in its one-shot situations where Medaka solved the problem immediately and without flaw.
Westlo: It's very human to not believe something deep-down even if your mind acknowledges the possibility. The fact that Medaka really IS as perfect as she appears only makes the gap between him and her worse - yes, she's always been around him since childhood, but that inferiority complex is to some degree justified since he really CAN'T quite match up to her in terms of intellectual talents or physical abilities. What he does do, unlike a lot of 'anime loser lead' males is try damned hard, and then not immediately give up or forget the progress he's made after it's shown he can at least approach her talents/skills/etc. Especially with Medaka's standards for what human beings are like/can be being so high.