If the four characters from the LoGH rostrum already inducted represent the batch of characters that are brilliant, flamboyant, charismatic and/or plain unorthodox, Julian Minci is the first one spotlighted of the second group of characters, which includes, among others, Mittermeyer, both Mariendorfs, Cazellnu and Frederica Greenhill, who are simply decent and composed, not brilliant but merely extremely competent. If the Lohengramms and Yangs of the show are the Instigators, characters who are pivotal in establishing the change in the socio-political system the setting takes place in by their thoughts and actions, Minci c.s. are the Followers, those who build upon what others have started - and who do most of the actual work in terms of administration, logistic and what have you not.
There is another thing all of them have in common: they survived.
This simple fact goes a long way in explaining the character concept behind Minci. As the show as a whole tells the story of the 'legend' of the 'heroes', the curtain falls with the death of the last of the great 'heroes', leaving the merely mortal to clean up and build a house on the foundations left to them.
Minci cannot, therefore, be as evocative and as present as any of the actual 'heroes'. As a chronicler and administrator he always must play second fiddle to those more important than he is, both in his actual political role and his character, which by necessity must be a bit subdued and overawed. To a certain extent, this is pronounced too strongly: Julian has a tendency to be the simple boor to Yang's Socrates, proclaiming every single one of Yang's words to be the pinnacle of wisdom and duly giving the right answer to each of Yang's Socratic questions. To top it off, when he becomes an important member of what can be termed the Alliance's government-in-exile, his approach to each and every political issue consists of asking himself what Yang would have done.
This doesn't give him much in the way of a character of himself, sometimes becoming positively annoying in his unfounded belief that everything will work out.
As said, though, that is his role, and it is played out well. In many ways he is the mouthpiece of the view of the at least mostly intelligent bystander who witnesses the greater clash of the titans and comments on it as someone who knows he is not on their level. He is shown as being intelligent, if not exactly wise in the ways of the world, capable at what he does and, most importantly, modest, and his character is put to good use as a means to emphasise the political and military situation of the remaining Alliance forces after Yang's demise. In particular, it is interesting to note how he is made the commander-in-chief of the military simply by association with Yang, and is fully aware - and appreciative - of the fact that he is mostly a figurehead. It's also interesting to note that the show from that point onwards really does not pay much attention to the military side of the struggle, as it's a foregone conclusion that, with what remains of the Alliance leadership under Minci, the Empire will win - and contrast this to the room given to Reuenthal's rebellion, the conclusion of which was equally well-known up-front.
It is a bit of a surprise, then, that he was given so much screen-time in the Earth expedition side-story, which in itself was of a strangely small scale and was one of the more problematic fits inside the greater story. While that arc fleshed out the setting a bit more, it also seemed as if the intention was to given Minci a bit more of an opportunity to become his own character, likely to set him up for his expanded role later on.
Sadly, that didn't work out very well. His function there was part action-hero and part narrator, which meant that he remained somewhat flat. The whole part also didn't fit very well within his greater role.
The same applies to most other attempts to make him better fleshed-out, such as his crush on Frederica and subsequent night of drinking, his conversation with Müller or his being the typical unwitting male in his relationship with von Kreuzer. These additions did much to make him more human, but little to make him an outstanding character.
Julian Minci wasn't meant to be a particularly endearing or well-developed character. He was mostly there to add lustre to the real protagonists and to be shown as someone who would be able to continue their work. In his role, he excels: capable, modest and devoted he is set as an administrator, politician and historian. As a character, there is simply a bit too little to him outside of what he was meant to bring. |