Spotlight Character: Kaoru Hanabishi (Ai Yori Aoshi) MAL Character Information Page: Kaoru Hanabishi MAL Favorites: 27 For the next week I would like to have everyone familiar with this character discuss what they think makes it an exceptional character. What attributes make it stand out in the ocean of interesting characters that exist in the realms of anime and manga. Unlike the other two subjects I will not force this conversation to fall into any set structure. Characters that are nominated typically get here because they are adept at breaking the existing character moulds and defying definition. Because of this freedom I encourage everyone to do their very best to stay on topic and keep any and all debate civil. Have fun and I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say about this character. RESULTS OF THE YOU DECIDE POLL Kaoru Hanabishi was NOT inducted into the club Character list: 6 Yes - 25.0% 18 No - 75.0% 43 Don't know this character - 62.3% of the total number polled 2 Abstained - 2.8% of the total number polled |
santetjanOct 12, 2010 9:55 AM
| You do not beg the sun for mercy. |
| The question here is... Why? |
 Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
| Because he's probably the best harem lead around. He's not a wuss, nor is he inept. He's dedicated, hard working, intelligent and mature, and in a genre rife with crappy male leads, shouldn't we at least recognise the ones that are actually good as characters. Of course, he's much better in the manga than he is in the anime as there's less of the useless comedy and fanservice, and more focus on the characters and the story. The thing is, I've watched and read a fair amount of romantic comedies over the years, and while there are some great male leads there are virtually none in the harem rom-coms. Generally they're either perverts, losers, girly-boys or idiots, but feel free to correct me if I don't know of anyone who doesn't fall into one or more of those categories. One key thing about Hanabishi Kaoru is the whole thing about his past. The only people in Ai Yori Aoshi who know who he really is are Aoi and Miyabi. Not even his best friends know much about him other than that he was a recluse when he first went to Tokyo, and while Tina has drawn him out a bit, he remains a very reserved character throughout the series. It's a mark of how much his relationship with Aoi changes him that by the end of the manga One other point is that unlike other stories, he is genuinely dedicated to Aoi, and while the series does throw some temptations in his path, the manner in which this is done is nowhere near as blatant as other manga or anime. In addition to this, the feelings of the other characters for him aren't as contrived as can be found in other series, and don't suddenly appear overnight but are actually explained over the course of the manga. Hanabishi Kaoru is, quite simply, the best harem lead male in either anime or manga. He's not a coward, or a pervert, or stupid, and his kindness and maturity manifest themselves in many ways throughout the story. How many other male leads in a harem series decide to work that much harder so they can look after their future wife properly? Virtually none. The sad part is that because Ai Yori Aoshi is a harem based romantic comedy, he is automatically marginalised because everyone knows there could never be a good, well developed male lead in that particular genre. Well, I don't expect he'll get in, but hopefully this will make everyone look at him a bit more before they pass him off as worthless. |
| What a day! What a lovely Day! |
| You did not convince me, it's still a no. |
Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
| I already knew you'd vote no. My aim wasn't to convince you, but to point out that in the rom-com genre of anime and manga, there are few leads as good as Hanabishi Kaoru, regardless of whether they're harem or not. Changing your mind never actually crossed my mind, pardon the pun, as I already know people will simply vote no just beacuse he's the lead male in a harem comedy story, and as everyone knows, there could never be a good character in one of those. Besides, you haven't actually given any reason for voting no, so there's no point in trying to convince you. |
| What a day! What a lovely Day! |
| My point is that even though he's not the common-place within harem-leads, he is a common-place within anime characters. He was just too Mary Stu, a little dead fly - directly translating the Portuguese idiom -, an uninspired and unoriginal pal that was just there to make off the pairing of the story. A character that I would never think of if he hadn't been brought up. My first question is simply out of curiosity: why the hell would anyone nominate this character? Apparently you have a reason, but while it is valid in the niche of harem, it's still just that: a niche. A very hated one as well. It's not like I strongly dislike harem. It's ok with me. But, in general, this series is very average. And the characters are very average too. They are perfect in being average, that I can't deny. |
Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
| Actually I'm basing my opinion on the manga rather than the anime. I agree that the anime doesn't portray him in the best light, but he's a very different proposition in the manga. Yes, there's quite a lot of overlap between the two, but the manga continues the story rather than tangenting into the morass that was Enishi. It's a shame really. People look at the anime and automatically decide that they know everything about a character even though there's a manga version of the story. It's only on the rare occasions that the anime is superior to the manga, so why base your opinion solely on the subpar and incomplete version of the story? It really doesn't make sense, especially when our club is called "Critics & Connoisseurs". |
| What a day! What a lovely Day! |
| Just to poke a little fun, I might point out that this site is called MyAnimeList :P |
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