Spotlight Character: Alpha Hatsuseno (Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou) MAL Character Information Page: Alpha Hatsuseno MAL Favorites: 58 For the next week I would like to have everyone familiar with Alpha discuss what they think makes her an exceptional character. What attributes make her 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 molds 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 RE-VOTE POLL Alpha Hatsuseno was PERMANENTLY inducted into the club Character list: 27 Yes - 84.4% 5 No - 15.6% 62 Don't Know - 66.0% of the total number polled ------------------------------------------------------------ RESULTS OF THE "YOU DECIDE" POLL Alpha Hatsuseno was inducted into the club Character list: 26 Yes - 27.96% 02 No - 02.15% 65 I don't know this Character - 69.89% of the total number polled Approximately 6 months from 9/08/2008, Alpha Hatsuseno will have to be revoted on for a second and final time |
LindleJan 14, 2013 1:17 AM
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| Having only seen the two OVAs, I really don't have much to say about Alpha, but I gave her and 8 since I presume that she gets more development in the manga. She's a very likeable and funny character nonetheless and seems to have a deeper personality than the somewhat similar Akari who was spotlighted last week, so I'll be voting yes, probably. |
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| Same as Tenchio, I've only seen the OVA, where she was dull and had only scraps of a personality. Is that okay because she was a robot? Hell no. Yeah, she had the same character traits as Akari, including the calm atmosphere of the setting and the sheer lack of character development. Two hours should have been enough to give you at least some curiosity for the manga, right? Just like Aria, this OVA was dull and boring, but unlike Aria it didn't have pretty character designs and top-notch animation + voice acting to uphold it. I voted 'no' for Akari, but if Alpha gets in then Akari should have had a place on our list too. |
Ancalyme said: Trust me, the OAVs are very incomplete fragments of the manga. Judging her based on those alone would be akin to rating a story based on its synopsis.Two hours should have been enough to give you at least some curiosity for the manga, right? Just like Aria, this OVA was dull and boring, but unlike Aria it didn't have pretty character designs and top-notch animation + voice acting to uphold it.. |
| I have to agree with Yuunagi. As much as I love Akari as well, she's nowhere near the character Alpha is, and the OVAs are just the briefest glimpse of her personality. You should read the YKK review as it gives a few more details. I'll add more to this post later :) |
ArchaeonAug 29, 2008 6:33 AM
| What a day! What a lovely Day! |
Yuunagi said: Trust me, the OAVs are very incomplete fragments of the manga. Judging her based on those alone would be akin to rating a story based on its synopsis. Archaeon said: I have to agree with Yuunagi. As much as I love Akari as well, she's nowhere near the character Alpha is, and the OVAs are just the briefest glimpse of her personality. Okay, I'll be rating 'I do not know this character' on the 'you decide', then :) |
| I'm always hesitant to give a rating of a ten, so I'll give Alpha a nice solid nine. I am too lazy to write anything, so I'll just provide a link to a topic on Pander.us started by Yuunagi. |
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| I don't know much about this character and I'm about as likely to read or watch as I am to vote for something that wins in this club, but I feel most of the votes will come from people who watch the OVA only. |
For an anime/manga character, Alpha Hatsuseno stands out partly because she doesn’t. She has no peculiar catchphrases, running gags, outrageous activities, unorthodox philosophy, or even any specific plot to follow. The result is an unusual hybrid of the real and the ideal: she stands out because she is paradoxically both ordinary and special at the same time. As Archaeon mentioned in the YKK review, the most unusual thing about Alpha is the fact that she’s a robot. She may have the external appearance of a regular woman (with the exception of hair color) but her body functions are somewhat different and, more importantly, robots never age. These facts, combined with the few details given about the state of the world, could have easily been used as material for another run-of-the-mill science fiction series. Instead, they were used to complement and highlight the more “ordinary” aspects of the story. Despite being artificial creations, the robots were created in the image of mankind (literally and figuratively) and as such, Alpha is human in both her actions and experiences. And it is this human element that keeps the series going. She’s very much down-to-earth and this makes it easier for readers to relate to her (or to understand her, at the very least). Loneliness, boredom, making new friends, keeping old ones, saying goodbye to others, losing parental figures, reminiscing about childhood, expanding one’s horizons, etc. These are all so common that, in effect, we readers are invited to reflect upon our own lives as well. She doesn’t simply share insights. She shares the experience from which we may draw our own insights. The world shown in YKK may seem unrealistic in that it’s free of violence or suffering but her interactions with and within it allow readers to see how similar it is to our own world in many ways. Of course, “normal” does not necessarily mean “plain” or “predictable”. Because she’s not bound by any particular stereotype, trying to anticipate what she would do or say in any specific situation is difficult, if not impossible. Most chapters feature relatively mundane activities or conversations, but every now and then, the mood suddenly changes in the span of a few pages and such complex emotions are evoked with a gesture and/or a few choice words. In addition to this, she has so many facets that it’s wonder that all of these were somehow fitted onto a single character. She is cheerful by default yet solemn on many occasions, appreciative of both company and solitude, frank towards others yet subtle in displaying certain thoughts and emotions, innocent yet mature, unaging yet continually growing up, optimistic despite the twilight of humanity, a free spirit who’s well aware of her obligations, and a person who remembers the past, lives in the present, and looks forward to the future. |
YuunagiMar 10, 2009 6:59 AM
| Well, Yuunagi saved me again. Alpha is at the very top of her character archetype, but has enough else going on that makes her just a bit more unique than the rest. I hope people who saw the OVA will give some of the manga a try, as it would be a shame to have "No" votes just based on the OVA. |
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| Alpha is remarkable in the way she manage to stand out as a deep and complex character, even without the extremities that is usually employed to make a character stand out, such as exaggerated personal quirks and intriguing backgrounds. With YKK being a action less and relatively uneventful slice of life story, the the burden of carrying the show on her shoulders falls entirely on Alpha, and if she weren't such a brilliant character, YKK would never have climbed into my favourite manga list. I've yet to see another character as vibrant as Alpha. |
Baman said: even without the extremities that is usually employed to make a character stand out, such as exaggerated personal quirks and intriguing backgrounds. Actually, I thought Alpha's background was very interesting. It provided a base from which we can contrast her current self and find how much she really did change. Something I have always found interesting was that even though she was basically a child then, she still decided to stay by herself. As Yuunagi put it, "trying to anticipate what she would do or say in any specific situation is difficult, if not impossible." Someone gave Alpha a three T_T |
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| It's pointless me modifying my previous post since Yuunagi pretty much covered everything :) I'll just add that Alpha is possibly the most fascinating character in anime and manga, and I recommend everyone gets acquainted with her as soon as they can. |
| What a day! What a lovely Day! |
Archaeon said: I'll just add that Alpha is possibly the most fascinating character in anime and manga, and I recommend everyone gets acquainted with her as soon as they can. Then wouldn't at least a tiny bit of this 'fascinating' bleed over into the OVA? I didn't get the impression that the people who read the manga felt it was a total failure in characterisation. |
Ancalyme said: Archaeon said: I'll just add that Alpha is possibly the most fascinating character in anime and manga, and I recommend everyone gets acquainted with her as soon as they can. Then wouldn't at least a tiny bit of this 'fascinating' bleed over into the OVA? I didn't get the impression that the people who read the manga felt it was a total failure in characterisation. I'm getting the feeling that it is just a matter of taste, Anacalyme. If you dislike Aria and the OVAs that much, YKK is just not your cup of tea. I like slice-of-life, and you like action and drama. We're both biased in opposite directions, meaning I am more inclined to love this character, and you are leaning towards the "not impressed" side. |
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Ancalyme said: Then wouldn't at least a tiny bit of this 'fascinating' bleed over into the OVA? I didn't get the impression that the people who read the manga felt it was a total failure in characterisation. LOL To be honest that's like comparing the chicken to the egg. The OVAs, being anime, couldn't capture the stillness of the manga. They were a great attempt mind, but they just couldn't capture the same emotion, the same magic, that the manga evokes. Although the effort was made to bring Alpha to life in the OVAs, it ultimately failed as anime generally (but not always), does with manga adaptations. Not sure what you mean by the second sentence though. Alpha is probably one of the best characters in manga, and her development is extremely well handled and delivered. The OVAs, by their nature, are too short for any of Alpha's true qualities to come to the fore (they should really have made it a 26 episode series), so the glimpse you get of her from that isn't all that impressive. I understand why your a little sceptical on this, but you should give the manga a try. It may make the difference between Alpha in the manga and Alpha in the OVA clearer. |
| What a day! What a lovely Day! |
Archaeon said: Between the two sets though, the ones from 1998 seemed more faithful to the manga than the ones from 2002. The director was less dependent on background music then.The OVAs, being anime, couldn't capture the stillness of the manga. Ancalyme said: The problem with the OAVs is that they're too constrained. It's possible to enjoy YKK in individual chapters but many of the crucial scenes could only be fully appreciated by realizing how they are connected to several other events (some of which are years apart in terms of publications dates and the chronological order in the story). Despite being a slice of life series, the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.Then wouldn't at least a tiny bit of this 'fascinating' bleed over into the OVA? I didn't get the impression that the people who read the manga felt it was a total failure in characterisation. Anyway, here's an interesting parallel which I rediscovered a few months ago: Reading Ernest Hemingway's A Clean, Well-Lighted Place might give readers an idea of the reason why Owner chose to leave Alpha with the task of running a cafe. The two stories have similar metaphors (such as darkness and insomnia) and themes about loneliness and old age. It suggests that keeping the cafe open is more than just a pastime but also a matter of empathy, perhaps even responsibility towards the customers who are still around. |
YuunagiAug 31, 2008 2:44 PM
| A heartfelt character with an understated elegance and relaxed charm, Alpha deserves full marks from me. Her approach in life is to take things at her own pace, all the while appreciating and finding enjoyment in everything and everyone around her. A keen photographer and a talented musician, Alpha pursues her interests in her own laid-back way and strives to better herself. Despite the slice-of-life nature of the series, each visit to Cafe Alpha is interesting and unique as Alpha invites you to have a seat and join her in savouring life's little pleasures. |
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| Speaking of A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, I read it about a month ago. That is a comparison I strongly doubt I would ever have thought up myself. Basically, comparing Hemingway to Ashinano is one of the weirdest things I have ever heard. I do agree with you, but it is somewhat different, seeing that the workers at the cafe have lives elsewhere, whereas Alpha basically lives there. Alpha also seems to be doing it for a specific person (owner) more than anything else, though that does seem to change quite a bit over the course of the manga. |
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