[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by KleenexGhost

Amata, Mikono and Zessica: Victims of weak character development.

P.S. I'm a Zessica fan too, and it sucks to see her get crapped on but I can't blame Mikono for it. I don't think Mikono is a bad character, I do think she's dangerously bordered on being a MacGuffin at times, but my problem with her is that she is too passive and hasn't really shown why she's so important. She has shown that she is caring and nice, but aside from being Celiane's reincarnation, what is her defining trait? What makes Amata risk his life for her? What makes Kagura so obsessed with her? Why should we care about her?

I can kind of accept that Mikono is simply "Amata's type", but it would be nice if Amata himself made that explicit (in an one-on-one conversation with Andy, for example), and I don't recall Amata ever really doing that. There's too much that viewers are expecting to infer when it comes to this show (such as me basically just assuming that Mikono must be "Amata's type"). I don't mind some things being left open to viewer interpretation, but key elements like why the main pairing likes one another should probably be clearer to all viewers than what it is in this show.

For Amata: Why should we care about his past? Why should we care about his feelings for Mikono? Why should we want him to succeed? Yes he's willing to take on the world for Mikono, and that is admirable but why should we care?

In fairness, I think that Amata is generally a nice, considerate, decent guy. But other than that "vanilla" reason to root for him, we're not given many others.

I think that one thing that Aquarion EVOL could have probably played up a bit more is how these Vector Pilots are real heroes protecting their world. This fact is too often lost in the shuffle of Soap Opera-ish romance conflict focus. Basically, the "Power Rangers" aspect of this show could have been played up a bit more to make Amata, Zessica, and even Mikono (since she has helped out a few times at least) seem more heroic.

Some of this is a simple matter of throwing in bits of dialogue to make it more clear.

"You've done enough damage to the city! I'm putting a stop to your murderous rampage now!" - Possibly a good line for Amata or Zessica.

"No! All those people! Stop, please!" - Possibly a good line for Mikono.

Granted, this is a bit cliche, but it does get the point across that these protagonists protect their world and the people living in it.

Zessica's case: A lot of attachment to her could be considered pity. Yes, she did do the confession in episode 16 and the kiss in episode 21 but really a lot of the attachment and support for her could be considered out of pity. She's the underdog, the hopeless suitor. People like the underdog. She did have a good personality at first but she eventually became this chronic depressed, overly-dependent girl, that has been dragged through the dirt. This got her sympathy with the fans but it doesn't make her a good character.

I would like to know how other fans feel about this.

There's no doubt that pity/underdog status is a factor, yes.

But Zessica is hardly the first anime girl to be made into the hopeless third point of a love triangle. Many of them didn't get the level of viewer sympathy/pity that Zessica has received.

Some of that is how heavily the show has focused on Zessica's plight (thus amplifying how much people feel sorry for her, and can't help but have our hearts go out to her).

But a lot of it, I think, is also how Zessica seems almost tailor-made to amplify all of Mikono's weaknesses by sheer contrast.


Mikono is indecisive. Zessica is very decisive.

Mikono is typically passive. Zessica is typically very proactive.

Mikono was initially defined by her fear. Zessica started out like the female version of a hotblooded male Gundam pilot.

Mikono frequently gets upset with Amata. Zessica virtually never does, even when she has much more reason to.

Mikono hasn't done/said anything all that romantic towards Amata. Zessica has.


So, especially from a male viewer perspective, this is what many see:

Zessica is a flirtatious, fun-loving, genki girl who is courageous in battle and in expressing her feelings. She is bold and brash but also with an adorably romantic side to her that comes out in key moments. She's highly expressive with her love, and repeatedly shows a willingness to put her own feelings aside to support the feelings of the man she loves. Now, if you're a guy simply evaluating Zessica's likability as a potential girlfriend, what's not to like? She's great.

Mikono is a generally nice and friendly girl, but she also is passive, indecisive, takes offense easily, and doesn't forgive easily. She's not that good at expressing her feelings, romantic or otherwise. Now, if you're a guy simply evaluating Mikono's likability as a potential girlfriend, there's issues here. She's still a generally nice, cute girl, but she screams "high-maintenance" to a lot of male viewers, I'm sure. And "high-maintenance" combined with "not emotionally expressive" is like THE most feared personality trait combo in a potential girlfriend, for a lot of guys.


Now, I can kinda get why some/many female viewers would like Mikono more than Zessica. For some of them, Zessica's flirtatious nature probably reminds them of some of their more reckless female friends that jump on guys too quickly.

And Mikono does have some edges over Zessica - Mikono is more careful, more cautious, more clear-thinking dare I say. But in a really hammy show like Aquarion EVOL these personality traits don't have the same effect as they might in a more 'down-to-Earth' romance drama. In something like Kimi ni Todoke, Mashiro-iro Symphony, or even a Key/KyoAni anime, Mikono's strengths would probably stand out more. But in the hammy Aquarion EVOL, they get drowned out by Andy acting so passionately about MIX(Y), Kagura acting so passionately about Mikono, Jin and Yunoha acting so passionately over each other, and Zessica acting so passionately about Amata.

Mikono is like the shrewd and cautious pilot... in a Top Gun movie. It doesn't come off as well there.

I'm sorry if my thoughts aren't organized and if this post seems like a rant.

No, your post was very well-organized, and thanks for writing it.

I hope my post didn't come off like a rant.