Thursday, July 29, 2010

Tasuku Kurosaki

Kurosaki is the secondary/second main character from Dengeki Daisy.

Like many of the characters in this manga, his personality is very complex. We know from small dips into the past that he was once a criminal hacker, as well as a someone who worked professionally with Teru's brother in some sort of business (or hacker ring). Back when he was a criminal hacker, he went under the name of Daisy, which actually referred to the war term Daisy Cutter. Its actually still rather unknown, but Kurosaki appears to have committed a slip-up so great that it not only caused Teru's brother his life, but also caused Kurosaki to take care of his younger sister Teru and remain using the name Daisy (a name he had long wanted to be rid of).

Now, we know that Teru was given a phone by her brother and told to contact the only person in its directory, taking her brother's place once he had passed away. Kurosaki of course was on the other end. So this tactic made it so that she didn't have a clue who he was, but since Kurosaki and Teru's brother worked together, it could be possible that he somehow already was given a heads up of who she was.

This being said, he seems to have abandoned his criminal ways (at least mostly) and is now a janitor at Teru's school. In some odd split sense of misplaced judgement, Kurosaki tracked down Teru after she broke a window at her school, and made her work as his janitorial helper to pay it off. Perhaps he made her work with him during her time off from classes because he wanted an excuse to keep a closer eye on her, or maybe it was because Teru was getting into fights with the student council, a road that could have had a very negative affect on her personality in the future. Whatever the real reason was, he made the choice to make contact with her. And his choice was something that would change both his life and hers forever.

Kurosaki may be old enough to know better than to go charging in and being the hero, but when it comes to Teru's safety, all hope is lost. He may have stopped being the criminal hacker for himself, but he isn't afraid to use his hacking skills and other means when it comes to protecting her. This not only includes a mean temper and an arsenal of phrases that can make people cringe in fear, but also a set of expressions that are reserved for those "if looks could kill" moments. For all his roughness on the outside, though, it isn't to say he doesn't have any common sense. For instance, when Teru's house gets broken into and she texts Daisy, Kurosaki gets pretty angry at himself for being useless and the person who broke into her house. In fact, when she happened to make her way back to the shop he was in, just out of pure memory and instinct, he almost lost himself completely at the sight of her. But the whole time before she came, he remained completely rooted to the shop, convinced that, no matter what, he could not go off and try to rescue her. Not only would he never be able to explain how he knew, but if she found out about him being Daisy, he believed it would ruin everything.

In the beginning parts of the series, Kurosaki used to tease Teru quite a bit, but this began to fade slowly after Teru spent some time living with him. There was a point where he woke up in the middle of the night for a nightmare related to Teru's brother. The result was tears pouring down his face, and a chain of heavy coughing. This woke up Teru. Now, he yelled at her to go away, but she didn't. Instead, she brought him water and a towel. This was probably the first time that he allowed himself to really hold Teru in his arms without the motive being to comfort her. It was even mentioned later that he had kissed the nave of her neck.

Another time where Kurosaki's tough exterior slipped was when Teru was moving in with a female friend of Kurosaki's. This would result in Teru leaving his place for the first time in a while. He teased her, and she countered. This continued until he mentioned something about spending the night with him. She fell apart on the spot, telling him to stop joking. She even left her seat at the table and walked into the kitchen to cry. Of course, this broke Kurosaki's heart. The second she got up and left, he called after her and his eyes followed her. He immediately got up to apologize to her.

The thing was, even after she moved out though, she lived just next door, so she often still ended up staying at his place from time to time anyway. This probably caused his feelings towards her to progress even more. There was one time when she fell asleep after crying about something. He came extremely close to kissing her before he covered her with a blanket and turned out the lights. This was probably about the time where he really began to lose his composure. But what we now know is that, this was after the time that Teru had already found out that Kurosaki was actually Daisy.

Not until recently did we know that Kurosaki can always tell when Teru is lying. He's caught her doing it several times, and corrected her, sometimes gently and other times with a knock to the noggin or two. But another crucial factor, is that he knew the second Teru found out that he was Daisy, but chose to say nothing to her about it because she denied any knowledge of an item that would prove he was Daisy.

From what we've seen, we might suspect that Kurosaki in fact just does what he can to protect Teru because he loves her, but in fact that isn't quite the case either. He once rescued a friend of Teru's who had just betrayed her, when he was about to be run over by a speeding car. He even helped her friend sort out his priorities after the fact. So as it turns out, Kurosaki is just a genuinely nice person.

Of course, to what extent Kurosaki's love reached was also unknown until he sheltered Teru from a falling desk and chair, taking a concussion to the head. It was an accident that could have been deadly under the wrong circumstances. So, with that knowledge, we can safely say that he would give his life for her, without a doubt.

SPOILER: There's also a chapter a little later in the series that has yet to be translated. In this chapter, Kurosaki saves her from drowning. When he pulls her out, he holds her close to him until she opens her eyes.

When she went missing for a few hours, after a guy she knew took her to a cake shop, and her cell phone died, Kurosaki ran all over the city, seeking out every shop that could possibly have her inside. When he finally found her, he was half mad and drenched to the skin in sweat, completely sunk in worry.

As a character, Kurosaki is haunted by the demons he created in his past. He struggles with the sin he feels he's committed and the intense love that he feels for Teru. His hard exterior is mostly a made up part of his personality, meant to push Teru and the rest of the people who know him away. Even so, it's also a product of the pain that he has endured. The closer he gets to Teru though, the more he's unable to maintain this rough image. He's extremely protective, the way he was meant to be... like a husband would be to his wife... but as he falls deeper in love, his protection turns into a kind of rage to protect her. She, however, only needs to spill a few tears, and Kurosaki looses all composure. He likes being in control, and will often do rash things when a situation is out of his hands. All in all, he is an overwhelmingly kind person, with a slightly childish temper. He wants to be the one in the middle of the action, but pays the price when things get too far out of hand. Yet he blames no one but himself. He sees the world as a kaleidoscope of goods and evils, and has no qualms with going out to meet them head-on, especially when Teru is involved.

Teru Kurebayashi

This girl is one of the main characters of the hit manga series Dengeki Daisy... one of my very favorites.

We don't know really a whole lot about Teru's past, beyond the point of her brother's death. Her parents are gone, and her beloved brother, and only remaining member of her family also passed away several years later for unknown reasons. From information that we've gathered, we assume that Kurosaki had some sort of hand in this, but the details are vague at best. For some reason, Kurosaki (known to Teru as Daisy) has been assigned, by Teru's brother, to be an indirect guardian to her.

Teru is given a phone with only Daisy's number in it. He's been her constant pen pal, or ghost writer, ever since. Unknown to her, the series begins with a situation where Teru is potentially in need of a little assistance in regard to bullies. Daisy has taken a job as a janitor at her school in order to watch over her more carefully. Of course, he takes this opportunity to lend a hand. Perhaps out of character for Daisy, Kurosaki actually confronts Teru after she breaks a school window later on, and she in turn has to work off her debt under his direction.

The odd thing about Teru is that, even though Daisy is supposed to be her outlet and emotional support, she hardly ever tells him just how bad things are. Perhaps this is exactly why Kurosaki decided to step into her life in person.

This being said, perhaps she is a bit naive, but then she isn't. She's naive in the way that she believes in people a lot more than she should. She ends up in situations that are potentially deadly simply to try and help a friend. But she's sharp too. When she's learned something, she understands it and applies it to her outlook on the world. She understood instantly that someone was trying to get ahold of her cellphone to get at some technology that her brother supposedly had hidden. She doesn't care about being direct in some situations, but in others she'll beat around the bush. With Daisy/Kurosaki, she may out right lie to him to protect the feelings that she has for him.

She's tough in that she hardly ever complains, and yet weak when the world decides to crumble on her. During those times, she somehow is drawn to Kurosaki, even before she realizes that he is Daisy. Even with his rough exterior, she is somehow able to tell that he means her no harm.

Teru as a character is probably one of the most complex by far. She feels a wide range of emotions but sometimes chooses whether or not to express them. She's extremely intelligent. Even before she had total proof that Kurosaki was Daisy, she had suspicions that he was. Even her ability to connect with him on a different level than she did with everyone else, even when he was determined to push her away meant that she recognized him as a friend, even before she knew any better. There are things that still sting her. Her world is still largely full of innocence, but she also recognizes that as her world grows darker, the one person who can probably save her is Kurosaki... the man who's suffering the most. But while she understands many things, Kurosaki is always one step ahead of her. Just where that road will lead them though, remains to be seen.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Toru Souma

So, this tiny series of four episodes (Baldr Force Exe) is one of those rare gems you only find once every several years. This little mini-series is also so incredible because the animators have put in the effort, the background, and the special effects for a series that isn't any longer than four episodes. In those four episodes though, the main character was properly introduced, the plot moved into full swing, and an attempt to destroy the world was foiled. I personally think, even after this, the series had enough momentum to continue. I was actually totally surprised out of my wits that it was only four episodes long when I went to find the second dvd.

But enough about the series. Toru (not to be confused with Tohru from Fruits basket) is a guy. He and three of his buddies formed a hacker group call Steppin Wolf. Now, we don't know exactly how the other two go to know our main character, but Toru's best friend Yuya was someone he met when he got trapped while trying to hack something as an amateur. What we do know about Toru's past is that he had a sister who died. Her consciousness assimilated with the "wire" or the net and her mind (or at least a form of it) has been stuck there, bodiless, ever since. This was an accident that occurred during an experiment conducted at a lab of VSS (a company perhaps linked with the supposed ideal of defending the wire?). Toru was also a test subject in this same lab, but was rescued by one of the lab workers when VSS attempted to terminate the remaining children. This entire experience isn't something Toru remembers until he meets the man who saved him quite some time later.

But what triggers this series is a hacking job gone awry. Steppin wolf is about to disband, but they decide to do one last job before its all over. What they don't know is that they got in way over their heads. The data they got a hold of was classified by the (wire military) known as Flak. As a result, Yuya was killed and Toru, along with the two remaining members of the team, were arrested. He was given the choice to serve a ten year sentence in prison, along with his entire team, or to join Flak. Toru reluctantly agreed to join, under the condition that his team members be set free without consequence. Now, after that, the remaining male member of his team joined up with the cyber terrorist group known as Fadou. The female member joined up (probably against her will) with VSS.

That left Toru in Flak to find Yuya's killer. His skills make him formidable in the wire. That much is clear, especially when he comes to Ione's (the least talkative member of his Flak team, and also a traitor who has been leaking information about Flak to the enemy... and which he later found out, killed Yuya as well) rescue.

Toru is often quite calm when he isn't bothered by something or someone. His behavior in his own encrypted program made that easy to see. There are plenty of times when he understands the risks in a situation, but still does what he wants anyway based on either his own moral code or his craving for a life more real. He goes in after Ione, after having been exposed to the wire for his full allotted time, and he enters the wire to help save it when all hell is breaking loose and everyone is dying. This and other example of reckless behavior also expose a dare in his personality. He dares to hack into systems, he dares to go against orders, he dares to bring members of Fadou into Flak HQ, and he dares to join Flak to get revenge for Yuya.

Perhaps its rare to see in anime, but Toru grieves normally. The sight of his sister's deteriorating corpse made him double over and sink to the ground. The initial shock in the English version even made him give off a sound like perhaps someone had physically shot or stabbed him.

This also causes him to battle out his feelings of grief in the real world and overwhelming joy for his sister (still alive) stuck in the wire (while she destroys seemingly everything within the wire world). Although its really quite barely... in the end, he's able to make the tough decisions. He ends her reign of terror by stabbing her wire form with a dagger (a virus in a tangible form).

Though Toru's real horrors are things that he had forgotten for a long time, his pain from the incident probably never truly faded entirely. This was all the more true when he connected to the wire. He perhaps always meant well, but his boredom and impulsive nature got him into a lot more trouble than he probably thought was possible. He's mostly peaceful, but explosive when provoked. This is perhaps even a result of past events. He gives great care to those close to him, but hardly lets anyone else into his world. His personality closes him off to the majority, but he has a charisma that names him a natural leader. In the end, when push comes to shove, his pain motivates him to move in the right direction... a trait unseen by many characters. All in all, Toru is a very interesting and complex character.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Agnes (or Anise) Yamamoto

Agnes isn't quite the typical heroine in words like Card Captor Sakura. This girl's special power was pretty much sealed by none other than her own father. How? With a rose choker that he put on her, and she hasn't been able to get off since. When it finally does come off though in a freak accident, she gets something much greater than she could have ever imagined. She doesn't really see it that way at first though.

Agnes is awakened as the Rose Princess, who can call forth four nights... by kissing an individual card of the knight's color rose. She can use thorn vines as her power when she gets angry. However, it appears that her abilities to use these only work in reprimanding and controlling her own knights and have no effect on enemies.

Now, why would she have to reprimand her knights, you ask? As it turns out, the four nights under her command are actually boys that go to her high school. Two of them are perfectly happy about having her as their master (the white rose even a little too happy), and the other two at first don't accept her as their master. Kaede, the red rose changes his tune rather quickly when she nearly strangles him with her rose vines, and the other only changes his tune when she attempts to take the fall for something that she and he were both involved in.

At her first meeting with all four, when she's given the power to command, her first thought is world domination. Of course, since the knights use her blood as payment for their magic, her hopes were quickly dashed.

The really interesting thing, though, is that the knights who at first liked her the least are in fact probably the most useful to her. They're also the only two who have been summoned to her individually.

She's not bashful about using her powers for selfish reasons either. She once summoned Kaede almost straight out of the shower, onto her balcony, just so she could talk to someone. Her language is also not fitting of a princess. She isn't reserved in the way she says things. What she says is usually blunt and to the point.

Unlike many series where the girls' reactions are overboard, Agnes pretty much reacts the way that a normal girl would in some situations. Like when she tried to feed her moody black rose knight, Mutsuki, a sandwich, and he proceeded to eat it from her hand, followed him rubbing his face like a cat against her arm. Rather than getting turned on and falling for him like many manga girls would, Anges tethered him with her vines, and proceeded to tell him to take the sandwich and eat it by himself, before she disappeared.

On the other hand, she's not all hard as nails either. Her knights have made her weak at the knees on more than one occasion, and when they get injured it bothers her.

As a character, she's quite strong, but she's also completely naive. She wants it all and claims that she's willing to pay the price, but she doesn't stop to ask what the price is. She's not completely stupid, because her common sense is in fact quite good. She's prone to peace, but isn't afraid to use force if necessary. On the flip side, her tendencies to use her influences for selfish reasons may get her in a world of trouble before long. Though the latest development in this regard has yet to be seen.

Sunako Nakahara

In the manga, we learn right off that Sunako was rejected by a boy when she was young (middle school age). He calls her ugly, and so since then, she has been a horror loving girl, sinking deeper into the darkness until she gets paired with three extremely handsome guys. In the manga, various issues pop up that cause her to get into situations where she needs a little help.

Its usually Kyohei to the rescue. For some reason, Kyohei has taken on the task of being her friend. Perhaps he sees something in her that no one else does, but he goes to great lengths to protect her. He keeps her from diving off a balcony, saves her from crowds and such regularly, shelters her from a shattering window, and takes on the task of being the lips that kiss her to get rid of ghost possessions and such. Sunako and Kyohei end up in truly odd situations that make them end up having to spend a Christmas alone together, and also live together in a small hut for a bit of time. Sunako usually only sprays blood when Kyohei gets close. This is also true in the drama, but instead of blood, she's pretty much the only person she head-butts.

Unlike in the drama where Kyohei needs to call her ugly to make her mad first, in the manga, Sunako willingly comes to Kyohei's rescue from time to time and uses her violent skills without any real restraint.

In the manga, I think Sunako sees Kyohei as more of a best friend, and her other house mates as good friends in their own way. She doesn't actually appear to think of him as anything more until the much much later chapters.

In the drama though, she follows his commands unquestioningly, wears the bracelet that he gives her, and even recalls his advice when its needed in a situation. Kyohei seems to be the only one who can talk sense into her, and yet also keep her from doing dumb things, not only by force, but also with his words.

It can also be stated though in the drama that the two have similar pasts. Kyohei was ridiculed and made to hide by how handsome he looked. His own parents appear to have named him a bother. This is also why he can't seem to hold a job. He can't get by without his fans gathering. On the other hand, Sunako's character in the drama is much deeper than it was in the manga. It wasn't simply the boy who called her ugly, but since she started to like dark things, her classmates also began to call her ugly. This was probably quite enough to drive her into complete seclussion. This is probably why the two have been able to find some common ground.

Still, her love of darkness doesn't mean she doesn't understand people. She can tell quite well when her housemates need a friend or if they're just being totally stubborn. She isn't afraid to give them a little nudge in the right direction, but she stills remains pretty close off to herself.

As a character, she was probably weak from the start. However, when she met the four boys, her character rebelled, making her weak at times and strong beyond fathoming at others. She understands the ways of the world, but chooses not to take part in them. Though she loves things that others would run from whole heartedly, she can also play the part of someone in the light from time to time (In the manga, it bothers her much less than it does in the drama). Her liking for chocolate also suggests that she still has quite a complete human side, even if it isn't totally "normal."

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Michael Weston

So, this man is the man character of the hit TV series Burn Notice. I really have to give Kudos to the people who made this series. All of the characters are extremely interesting, and Michael, probably the most of all of them.

He is an ex-spy. Which denotes perhaps why we are suddenly able to see into his secret world. Right off the bat, we a thrown into a situation that shows just how dangerous his job is and just how wrong it can go, while still remaining in control of the situation. Michael's narrations and explinations throughout the series truly dictates just how amazing the writing is for his character.

Unlike things that are explained in a way that is purely perhaps common sense to most, this series goes way outside the box. Michael makes the audience believe that that common sense is perhaps our enemy rather than our friend.

Behind the scenes, Michael's supporters are his ex-girlfriend Fiona, the ex-navy seal Sam, his mother, and later his brother too.

His skills are that of a professional. He can disappear, snag information, and force negotiations with people who would rather not deal. He can also impersonate any character, based on what is being looked for to complete his job. With the drop of a dime he can change tactics on the spot. Making people believe that his plan is their plan is his specialty. Perhaps this is the reason why he is so dangerous. But at no point is he invincible.

As a person, he cares deeply for his family, even if he doesn't show it. He never leaves a friend behind even if the odds are stacked against him. He sees the little details that no one else does and uses them to his advantage. His own personal weaknesses also sometimes become his best strengths in the field. He can however be over obsessive, especially when it relates to information on who burned him.

He's aware of the cost of human life. He tries to avoid it, but occasionally, his missions end up taking a few lives. It seems to bother him much more when the cost is someone he knows (for informational purposes for example than a criminal he is louring in). He gives no special backwards thoughts to blowing up a few things along the way or nailing a few criminals, especially when they've harmed one of his friends. He specializes in making other criminals kill or drive out the person he needs dead or gone, so he doesn't have to dirty his hands. On the other hand, he goes to great lengths to protect his family (especially his mother). He only follows the rules until he can get around them, especially if otherwise the result would be immoral or unjust.

As a character, he's had a scarred family life in his past. That's perhaps why he's able to be a spy. He's able to make the tough decisions when it counts and sacrifice himself when there is no other way around a situation. As much as he cares though, he hardly ever lets personal feelings get in the way of his job. He trusts his friends to do their parts properly, so he always attempts to do his role to its full potential. His quick thinking and agile movements are probably his best traits. On the flip side, since he's been ex-ed as a spy, he's beginning to do things for the greater good of the common people. Getting back in the game, though, is what might make him turn a card that he's left alone until now.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Kurama Mutsuki

So, there isn't a whole lot I can say about this character quite yet because the series Barajou no Kiss hasn't gotten past the 17th chapter in English translation. In fact, the main directive of the series has just started.

Right off the bat though, this series about knights and roses isn't everything that it seems. Mutsuki, unlike the other knights who tend to be fairly outgoing tends to remain in the background. He's mentioned that he's a creature called a night stalker (which could perhaps be loosely associated with vampires). His initial view of his master, the Rose princess (one who can summon the knights and let them use their magic at the cost of some of her own blood) when she first appeared as Agnes was an immediate refusal to recognize her authority. He, however, being the most skilled at searching out things... and she looking for a necklace... made it completely inevitable for him to be summoned. He was of course quite moody, but he still followed her orders without fail. It seems to be that he takes pride in his abilities, as well as his duty. After she attempted to take the fall by almost getting caught in her search for the necklace, Mutsuki softens his demeanor towards her. He even uses his ability to fly to whisk her away from the problem area. When he sets her down and manges to accidentally see up her skirt--which she notices--and Agnes reprimands him for it, he doesn't retaliate.

Perhaps his situation with living in the church which is seemingly under control of another knight in the group may be the reason why he is so cold a lot of the time. It was once stated that Mutsuki was even the property of the church. As odd as that is, it doesn't appear to impede the way he goes about his duties in regard Agnes.

He calls humans "lower life forms," but as he is called away to help Agnes privately he seems to have developed a great deal of care towards her. When she cannot continue with the search, he covers her with his coat and flies her home. Even after he leaves to return home himself and is cornered, he takes a nearly life-threatening beating, rather than using his abilities and making Agnes weaker.

Later, after Mutsuki heals and another knight in the group is attacked, he agrees to fly Agnes home. He begins by saying the knights (as a group) would protect her, but halfway through, he stops and changes his wording, so that he (as an individual) would die for her. When one of the group disappears, he's also the first to find Agnes and offer his assistance to find the lost lamb.

There's also a time later when he seems to have let something slip through his fingers. Agnes watches him take time to be alone. She, wanting to talk to him, brings him a sandwich. Now, he claims that his hands were dirty, but rather than grabbing the sandwich to eat it, he grabs her hand and eats the sandwich from her hand. Then he proceeds to rub his face on her arm. She, shocked out of her wits, reprimands him, tells him to take the sandwich and eat it alone, and orders him to feel better. Then she leaves.

Now, given, this series is kind of like some of the other fantasy tales with the objective of forbidden fruit. Agnes's ultimate objective is to eventually come to a point where she's in such a relationship with one of the knights that constitutes her being able to make love to him, therefore making the summoning process completely painless. Her other option being a pain-staking quest of locating a whole bunch of fragments to finish repairing the Devil's seal.

As a character, Mutsuki is in fact the dark mysterious guy that all us girls have been referring to for all of our lives, I'm sure. He is in fact the color of the black rose, he likes darkness and is its master. There are things that he doesn't totally understand due to the difference between human and himself. He claims not to feel, but in fact, probably feels much deeper than any of the other three. Other than Kaede, Mutsuki is the only other knight ever summoned by Agnes and spent time with her alone. The things in his past that he can't recall probably make up for some of the gaps in his personality, but even as rough around the edges as he is, he never truly means any real harm.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Shou Fuwa

So, this guy is the antagonist of Skip Beat. At first I wasn't going to use his character because it didn't seem as developed as the others, but I think I have just enough material to write a bit on him.

First of all, he grew up in a household where he was meant to take over the family business. This also meant that he was quite spoiled from a young age. Kyoko, having parents of her own that care so little spent most of her time at his house as a child up through the time that they both ran off to Tokyo for him to become a famous musician. His reason for leaving, as he initially told Kyoko, was that he didn't want to be married off to some boring girl and live out his parent's dream. What he didn't tell Kyoko until she overheard his conversation was that she was in fact the girl that he was going to be married off too. He doesn't have a whole lot of care for people that are not useful or not interesting enough for him. His cold attitude for Kyoko continued until he met her again, as an actress for his own music video.

Her ability to adapt and feel, as well as her beauty, captivated him. And since then, he hasn't been able to let her go. But as luck would have it, just before she leaves Shou's company, Ren calls. She even says his name because it was only the second time calling her. Shou's jealousy switch turns on big time after that. There was his worst enemy, being so buddy buddy with a girl he took for granted that he wasn't only calling her (as enormously busy as he was), but was taking the time to listen to her own personal issues. While Ren perhaps always hated Shou for his affect on Kyoko. Shou hated Ren for simply knowing and talking to her (as well as the fact that Ren was far more famous than Shou was). Shou took the phone from Kyoko and hung up on Ren. As simple as this sounds, this one act started so many problems on both sides. The next time Shou met Kyoko, it was for her to tell him that he was being a coward, as another band topped the charts, copying his music. He slapped her across the face, and his ring cut her cheek.

Now, this was probably the point where Shou realized he went way to far, because he showed up at the set for Dark Moon. He had the misfortune of seeing Kyoko, just as she arrived with Ren that day. Jealous as all get out, he pulled her aside to give her something for her cheek. She blatantly refused, and then he apologized for having hurt her (which Ren heard).

The next time they met was when she was filming on location. Again she called him out for running away from the other band. And then he started appearing on her set almost all the time. She eventually came in close contact with the opposing band, and the lead vocalist started to stalk her. Shou actually protected her and faught for her on this particular occassion. He even ate with her one morning (much to Kyoko's dismay). This continued until Ren arrived by plane. Shou even had the nerve to go up to Ren's room to check on Kyoko, which pissed Ren off immensely. After that, Shou attempted to confess to Kyoko the next morning that he actually liked her, but was instantly cut off by a rather vigorus attempt on Ren's part to distract her, as well as make it clear to Shou that Kyoko was his. After that, Shou disappeared again for a while.

Then he by chance, met her again much later at a TV station the day before valentines day. In a complete misunderstanding, Shou thought that Kyoko was the lover of the man who had been stalking her. This led to an extreme word slashing in the hallway, and later to Shou giving Kyoko an enormous boquet of flowers as "congratulations" on her set on V-day. She, quite peeved, proceeded to tell him that the chocolate she made for her male stalker was to pay him off, and that she had written on it for him to got to hell, not that she loved him (all in front of Ren too).

When she was done yelling and about to leave, Shou forcefully kissed her (which just about caused Ren to get in a fight). From there, he left and they haven't really talked since. He of course believes that she is "his."

Since then, however, Ren has in fact done quite the job in damage control and is now currently staying several days with Kyoko in various hotels due to an acting assignment. Sorry Shou, looks like your hopes may be dashed.

But as for Shou's character, he reminds me a lot of a guy I knew in high school. He's completely selfish, with only little hints of remorse along the way. He doesn't really know what he wants, but grabs at everything he can. He's childish and perhaps pretty greedy too, but not all together heartless. He's also extremely jealous and massively egotistical... all traits that both Kyoko and Ren hate to the extreme.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Eros (Yin)

Though I usually don't care much for fashion related manga, The One has an interesting set of characters and circumstances.

Eros, or Yin, is a fashion director with an extremely famous model of a twin brother, Angus. We learn through the chapters that Eros in fact was raised by his mother. His father (a royal) never saw Eros as his son, so Angus was raised with his father instead (noted because Angus and the father had the same eye color). Eros's mother eventually became ill and insane and committed suicide. When she became ill, though, he was sent to live in a youth center. He has a fair ability to fight, so being bullied was never really a problem for him within the center. This ability, though also got him in trouble with much worse things outside. He was eventually taken away by a group of druggies. From there, his past becomes cloudy. It was probably during this time that he received a gunshot wound, making the scar that he now has. It would then make sense that he was discovered by someone and met up with his step-father, or rather, foster family. From there he became a fashion director.

All that being in his past, it makes perfect sense why his attitude is usually so cold and perhaps cynical at times. He met the model LeLe (main character) when he was disguised as a bum one day (a strange hobby of his). He then met LeLe again at her debut fashion show in honor of her dead mother, and she quite literally fell off stage and into he and his brother's lap. Once again, he managed to find her when he was disguised as a bum. Her perseverance and shining outlook on life, despite having only her grandmother as a guardian took his icy heart for a ride. It can probably be said that for the first time she made him care.

After that, they met again once when she was doing a photo shoot away from home for the first time. After a rather nasty run-in at dinner one night, the two started to become solid friends. He often teased, but his advice was completely solid, and by the time she flew back home, she trusted him. She even went as far as to give him an earring.

The fact that he had not previously pierced his ears, and yet ended up doing so after he received the earring made a statement of exactly what place she had in his heart. This was probably even more apparent when she flew to New York and ended up getting very drunk at a party. Eros, having been invited, due to being friends with the person holding LeLe's contract. Even so drunk she's almost completely passed out, Eros managed to wake her. Upon seeing the earring, she runs over to him and clings to him. Its then revealed that he knows her full name. He safely gets her to her new apartment. Then, the next night, when she drops off the radar, threatens to do horrible things to his manager friend if he doesn't find her.

From there, its a string of games played, advice given, and chance encounters. He kisses her several times in this span of time. Once purely out of feeling, once perhaps because LeLe blackmails him a little, and another time just before he burns all they have between them to the ground. On the last occasion, Eros's brother has been threatened, and so he changes his looks. LeLe confesses her feelings to him, and he appears to brush her off. She then confronts him at a reception fro LeLe and Angus's latest works. Eros then, after being confronted, attempts to rape her. Leo (her gay roommate, and Eros's personal friend and employee/co-worker) manages to stop him before things get serious.

But here's where things get weird. He coldly runs leaves the scene and her behind in Leo's care. We know that LeLe falls ill later. But Eros later that night has a fist fight while a building, injuring his hand while he remembers how he hurt her. There's also a scene where he's hiding behind a wall and he listens to a man report that LeLe is nothing more than "the twin's play thing," but is asked to keep watching her.

Leo later confronts him at work, and Eros shrugs it off until Leo slaps him across the face in front of his entire staff. LeLe, after some tender care recovers and is offered a job in Paris(?). Its then that LeLe, by chance again, come face to face for the first time since the incident. He coldly addresses her, and she retaliates. She makes the statement that she in fact not only doesn't want to be his lover, but she also no longer wants to be his friend. She even questions whether they were ever friends. He, having offered her more care than he had ever shown anyone before, was frozen to the spot after she walked away. At this point, we've known for quite some time that their father intends to bring Angus back to his country by force. Eros arranges for Angus to be sent to his step-father's home, while he is dragged off to the father's home. From there, the story hasn't progressed at all, so we can only guess what happens next.

Eros as a character has a lot of past baggage and many habits that he cannot break (smoking when he works, acting like a bum on his days off). He appears cold on the outside because of all the pain he has endured, but for all his callouses, he is quite wise. He understands how things in the world work and have seen them from every angle. His feelings for LeLe are probably very complex... ones that make him care like a father and want her like a lover. This might even be the reason why he hasn't revealed his own feelings to her. His methods are often harsh, but he seems to go for the greater good in the situation.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Kyouko (Kyoko) Mogami

This character is kind of a mix of ever trait that makes you go "you go girl" and every trait that makes you go "Whaaaaaat?"

At the very beginning, we are introduced to a girl who has seemingly given up everything to make a single man happy... a man who hardly even bothers to come home at all. She, being of high school age, but not attending high school, because she is trying to work several jobs at the same time, overhears "her man" one day, telling a lover(?) that he thinks of Kyoko as nothing more than a tool to be used. Instead of becoming depressed and running away to evaluate her life like many manga girls do, Kyoko confronts him and vows reveange. He, being a famous music artist could only be touched by the fame of another person in the entertainment industry. And that is how this story comes about.

Kyoko, a shy, soft-spoken person in the beginning, changes everything about herself... her hair, her clothing, her reasons, and quite a bit of her personality too. She bounces back and persists when no one else would. That persistence lands her a spot in a famous company that handles a large part of entertainment affairs in Japan. She, however, has to climb from the bottom to get what she wants. She is put in a special section to learn to help and be loved by others. Perhaps, the most critical part of her character's development comes when she meets the extremely famous actor, Ren. At first, its quite easy to say that Ren hates her completely. He makes her life quite difficult. But a true turning point in their relationship is when he recognizes her as an amateur actor worthy of his skills. This happens right after she has fractured a bone in her leg, making it almost impossible for her to walk. Yet, still, she pushes through her pain to act a role that was lent to her on a pure whim. After keeping up with Ren in his acting, and him disappearing from her sight, Kyoko actually lost consciousness. The real kicker though, is that Ren at this point still hates her.

Her greatest trait perhaps is that she learns fast. She learned fast not to trust Ren or his intentions. She also learned how to act and improvise. Upon meeting and befriending Moko (Kyoko's first female friend), they soon had to do an improv for a commercial audition. The last round of this improv, Kyoko's idea was stolen by a group that performed right before her. In just seconds, Kyoko managed to almost completely rewrite her improv idea and make it entirely better than anyone else's. Another measure of her true ability was when she was asked to act out a character of an older sister that hated her younger sister for killing a parent (accidentally). She deviated from the scrip, but always forced the other person to keep going, eventually returning to the script herself. Halfway through, she was even interrupted by Maria and had to finish acting by convincing the younger girl that her own mother's death wasn't actually her fault.

It was also around this time that she got a job to be Ren's fill-in manager. Ren, not trusting her, took on most of the duties himself, until his health went down hill. She tried her best to please him until he really became ill. It was then that her determination switch turned on. A great show of this determination was when she had disappeared to buy things for his cold. When she returned, it was just in time to realize that he was about to pass out from fever. So, with several enormous bags of groceries in her hands, she used her head (literally) to steady Ren's falling body. She then spent an entire night taking care of him and cooking for him, not sleeping a wink (all this going on while she was studying feverishly for high school entrance exams). And the next day, while Ren suffered terribly, trying to remember his lines in private (and couldn't), Kyoko hid herself and started playing the role of the person he would be talking to. The days that he was sick were also a turning point. For the first time, Kyoko could almost call him a friend. He even called to thank her when it was all over.

From here, though, things get more complicated with her character. Her enemy, Sho (the boy she swore revenge on) started appearing in her life again. It also didn't help that her first real intro to fame was in his music video. Her ability to get through that with a professional attitude was absolutely astonishing, especially since, every time prior to that occasion, she went into killer mode even at the mention of his name.

Audaciously, she was also given the part of Bo. A large chicken that appears regularly in a TV show (kind of like a late night talk show). With this character, she has dissed Sho, insulted Ren, and given him advice and guidance that otherwise could not have been offered by her in person.

Another critical element was when she was asked to play a role in the drama Dark Moon. Her role was opposing the other characters, but it was perhaps the reason why she and Ren became so close. He in fact was offered the starring role in the same drama. With Ren's advances, because her heart was so closed off, she often shrunk back in fear until she realized that the way he looked at her was actually not one of hate at all.

Rather than backing down to people that oppose her, she pipes up and fights. This, however, is only usually true until Ren enters the picture. Ren, who at this point has already fallen in love with Kyoko, often protects her. It seems she understands this, so she usually declines much more to protect herself when he is present.

Her ability to warm people up to her and beat them down when they are being full of themselves is also quite interesting. Though it may not look it, she has an extreme amount of intelligence. She knows how to turn the blackmail of rich child into complete understanding for the person he's blackmailing, and keep him on a leash while she's at it. She knows how to change people's feelings completely, and not even try to.

However, even with all her praises, she's also oblivious to love. While it seems she actually feels it herself, or at least a much deeper connection to Ren than anyone else... She doesn't acknowledge it. Her lack of experience with affection make her head spin when she receives it. But her background makes her able to endure situations that others would run screaming from. For instance, there's a time when she has to stay with Ren for a while in several hotels and gets worried that he's taking too long in the shower. She barges in, only to realize that he is in fact nude and still taking a shower. Instead of running from the room, she stares at him, he (in character) asks if she wants to join him, and she answers back with a smile (in character) that she would love to if she weren't making dinner. She then calmly walks out of the bathroom...

She also feels fear though. In a similar instance, she was unknowingly sent to test Ren's character. When she found him, he was playing the part of a cold-blooded killer and chain-smoker, sitting on a bench by himself. She recognized him, but was scared out of her wits when he glared at her and knocked her down. Later, when he pulled her into an alley, she curled into a ball and shouted apologies until Ren started stroking her hair and telling her he meant her no harm.

All in all, Kyoko is a character with many demons in her past. Her father died, and her mother completely ignored her. Her friend "Corn" (who actually was Ren) was her only real comfort to her tears at the time. Her childhood friend Sho betrayed her heart and her trust, leaving behind only her hatred for him. She's still completely taken in by fairy tales, and loves the fantastical rather than the logical. She fights when she needs to fight, but her most potent weapon is her mind. Kyoko is perhaps one of the few really likable, strong female characters in manga to date.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Ren Tsuruga

So, since I've been feverishly trying to get through the 160 chapters of Skip Beat that have been posted, I've gradually gotten to know this character, Ren. Now that I'm finished with those 160 (sometimes shocking) chapters, and am waiting for more, I can take a moment to explain his character while its still fresh in my mind.

Overall, his character is largely mysterious. There are a lot of things he won't talk about, and probably even more from his past that he doesn't want to remember. Ren is more of a secondary character in this series since he's a potential lover to Kyouko (the main character).

So far, we know that Ren, once having been named Kuon, had some sort of very deep sin etched into his past. Its possible that he may have even killed someone when he was in his teens. However, considering the other circumstances of his childhood, it seems rather unlikely. From many brief bits, as well as an awkward situation or two with Kyouko, we also know that he lives in a very loving, rich family, with two parents that in the end had to put too much time into their jobs, leaving him feeling probably very unloved. Its also very clear that Ren, around the age of ten or so, met Kyouko, and even was very close friends with her until he moved away.

That being said, when he meets Kyouko again, she and he both have completely changed. Up until the current chapter, Kyouko still has no idea that he is her friend "Corn." He, however, is fully aware that she is the girl, after having seen a rock that he gave her many years ago.

Ren's character seems to change throughout the series. At first, he's very rude, very selfish, and coldly gives very little care to Kyouko. He has little tolerance for such selfishness as revenge. His intentions aren't ever actually bad though. He respects Kyouko's determination and strength. A huge turning point is when she is forced to take over his manager's tasks for several days (due to illness), and Ren actually falls ill himself. While she's helping him mend, perhaps for the first time, he really starts seeing her as a friend.

Another interesting thing to note it that he is seemingly completely cool with the fact that Kyouko makes dolls of him and talks to them when she's faced with something while he isn't around or she can't tell him in person. He perhaps gave her a weird look or two when she gave Maria a version of him for the girl's birthday, that was the equivalent of a life-sized barbie... making the comment that if her dolls were so accurate, she probably fantasized about him. But he never really seemed creeped out by it the way most men probably would be.

His feelings progress toward her, and on different occasions, he finds different emotions. He uses what power he can to watch out for Kyouko. He fakes smiles, teases a lot, and so on. In reality though, he does fall in love with Kyouko, he does feel extreme jealousy, and even shame. He goes to extreme lengths to protect what he has with Kyouko, and yet won't admit to her directly how he feels about her. He respects the four year gap between them. He even goes as far as to say that he can't be with her because of it, and maybe even after it.

On at least three particular occasions, Ren showed a kind of anger that had never been seen before. Each had to do with a man (or men) that Kyouko had somehow come in contact with. One was when he arrived on location to film Dark Moon later than everyone else. Kyouko's own personal enemy, a male music artists named Shou, arrived to save her from a group of men that had been making his own life difficult... a group, who's male vocalist almost raped her. When Ren ended up finding out about the whole thing, he became so angry that he sent everyone away (for the first time ever in the series). The second time was probably right after when he found her being pinned to the floor by the same man who had almost raped her, not but a few days before. A guy who was seemingly afraid of no one, was deathly afraid of Ren.

The third time was when he ended up playing the character Cain Heel. Kyouko was enlisted to help him with his role and play his sister Setsu. On his way back from helping her shop and leaving her alone outside for just a few minutes, he finds her surrounded by several men. She, playing the role, acts out her female charms, and points out Ren as he returns. Ren, now twenty years old, tries his best to defuse the situation at first, simply grabbing Kyouko and walking away, but then it gets interesting. One of the gang decides to attack Ren from behind. Still trying to avoid a fight at first, he simply dodges. Although, his amazing reflexes and ability to fight are also an interesting thing to note about his character.

After a while, the other party pulls out a weapon and Kyouko tries to stop them. When she gets hit with the weapon, he snaps and instantly fights back, giving the other guy a concussion. Shortly after, he takes out the remaining thugs and totally loses himself. He's about to do in the last guy completely when Kyouko has the sudden realization that he isn't going to stop. So she screams for him not to kill the guy.
Now, Kyouko is still unsure whether the person fighting was Ren or Cain, but its pretty clear to the reader that Ren actually lost himself entirely for a good several minutes... probably do to the rage of trying to protect Kyouko. When he came to, he was facing the wall, with both arms holding him up. When Kyouko touched him, his expression was incredibly fearful. He even asked her who he was at first. What other details are revealed about this has yet to be discovered, but this perhaps adds another deep leaf to his character.

All in all, Ren is rather a gentlemen, with an inexperienced heart, distance from family, and an active role as an intoxicating image of extreme fame. He notices the fine details in things and acts accordingly. He knows how to push his luck and get away with it, but also feels something when he causes pain. He's over protective, and only extremely jealous when his love is in contact with particular other guys. Beyond all that, Ren also has a secret side, a much darker side, that we have yet to discover.

Introduction

So, I've been reading a lot of manga and watching a lot of series and movies over the summer. I figure, rather than letting this become a waste of my summer, I might as well make it into a summer college project, in light of the fact that I'm doing my own screenplay next semester.

In this blog, I will dive into the psychology of who a character really is, and what makes them behave the way they do from my point of view, based on what I've observed from their actions, expressions, thoughts, and speech.

That being said, let the blogging begin.