[Wolfenstein]

Originally Posted by DawnEmperor

But it's not much of a surprise. Zenkichi has a trend of being mistreated.

I can clearly see what you're trying to point at.

You know, if it hadn't been done already, you'd think this trend would lead to another "Zenkichi Insurrection".

Obviously not gonna happen, though.

Originally Posted by DawnEmperor

Medaka may have learned to "understand people's hearts", but that doesn't automatically make her less callous it seems. The character development is a bit more subtle; before Zenkichi would've probably taken it to heart, but now he can laugh it off. Medaka doesn't really need to act overly violently. But both still retain certain key defining characteristics(stubborn determination, skepticism, sincerity)

That's just the thing.

It seems the manga took 140's character development and completely disregarded it in favor of a certain type of status-quo. Because, if 140's spirit(at least, how I'm interpreting it) were continued, certain events(quips about Zenkichi's intelligence, Medaka's misunderstand of people's feelings, her way of cheering up Zenkichi) wouldn't be had at all.

I feankly just feel like 140's development was completely left in the dust, man.

Zenkichi fought through tooth and nail as to never have Medaka like that again, and yet it seems like she still is...and dosen't care much for his feelings.

Maybe it's just a character regression from Zen's part, though. Maybe from both of them.

Originally Posted by DawnEmperor

Also, Zenkichi has the role as the audience surrogate, meaning he does have to get saddled with the role of asking questions we would potentially ask.

That's really not a problem. Medaka's reaction to the question is a problem on her front. It tells me she dosen't seem to recognize Zen's struggle to develop at all.

I mean, let's be blunt here - Emukae noticed it in spades. It's also true that Medaka did acknowledge it at the end of 140, but you already know how I feel about that.

Originally Posted by DawnEmperor

But for you, what defines Zenkichi?

That's actually a pretty hard question for me to anwser. Mostly because I just write whatever I'm feeling at the moment. I really don't put any thought into analysing and quantifying a character in a more ordained fashion, but I'll try my best!

He's kind, compassionate and sincere to a fault.

I'd say that he's a normal guy, who through his own decision, acheived a state where reality is constructed by someone's own effort and will, instead of a whim of fate. He did that in-order to defeat the girl he loved so his victory would not only feel real to himself, but that so his girl would finally acknowledge him. After years of standing behind her, he wanted to stand besides her, he wanted to stand in a world like that.

I thought that was the full intent on his personal skill, and what had become the crux of his character. Making a reality that is actually real. One of your own making. That's what he meant when he said that his feeling when defeating Medaka felt real. It's as if what he had done before was just pre-ordained. Pre-ordered.

This, I think, reflects somewhat with his current feelings of his friendship with Shiranui. And if you've been reading my posts, you'd see that's being very redeeming of the current arc for me.

In certain ways, he's the most human character in this series, feeling the urge of free-will and the urge of needing effort to construct your own world instead of by fate or some miracle. Like Anshin' san said, it's the complete opposite from the conventional main character.

At least, that was what I thought his character was about when I read the Flask Plan Arc, which was Zenkichi focused. Now I'm not so sure. Since it seems that legacy is almost non-existant when it should kinda be the basis for the current Zen/Medaka relationship instead of this really potent and unbendable love.

Originally Posted by Mura

Your rants are entertaining so there is no need to apologize.

Cool! I'm very glad someone so different from myself can take something out of them.