Forum - View topicDo you want more muscular females?
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Jedi Master
 Posts: 400 |
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Lots of anime feature smaller protagonists fighting larger antagonists regardless of gender.
One of the themes of Angelic Layer is that size shouldn't matter (in a fight) and that little people have their own way of fighting. This isn't just a recent trend either. I remember the old Fist of the North Star movie that had buff, but relatively normal sized, leads bust up ridiculously huge man-giants. However, a lot of anime involves sci-fi and magical elements. To follow up on the example given earlier, a character's physical power in Ikki-Tousen is heavily influenced by the spirit in his or her magatama. I'll give a couple of more extreme examples. Shana from Shakugan no Shana looks like a little girl but she gains power to fight supernatural monstrosities from her status as a "Flame Haze". The little girls of Gunslinger Girl have super human strength and toughness due to their cybernetic conditioning. Mimiru from .hack/SIGN is able to fight huge monsters because she's a video game character. I don't want more muscular females in anime because it isn't necessary. The creators use the designs that make sense to them and hopefully makes sense to the audience. Reading character design notes in artbooks and magazines shows me that a lot of thought is put into character's clothing, hair, and facial expressions. It's a reasonable assumption that character's body builds would also be taken into consideration during the early design process. Let's examine some female characters who are naturally strong. Genie in Rune Soldier is muscular because the art style is in-genre for her character class and her physical strength is from training, not magic or artifice. Electra from the Bebop movie was designed just muscular enough to make her role as a tough military woman more believable. The same goes for Hawkeye in Full Metal Alchemist. Compare them to Mao in Fullmetal Panic, who can get away with a slightly less muscular build since most of her fighting is done in a mech. |
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Unit 03.5-ish
Posts: 1540 Location: This space for rent |
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For strong characters, who can forget Outlaw Star's Suzuka, who can SLICE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING IN HALF with a sword made out of wood? I mean damn.
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Jedi Master
Posts: 400 |
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Outlaw Star has magical elements as well as sci-fi. Secret martial arts techniques that allow for supernatural effects are borderline mystical enough to qualify as being magical in my opinion. The Outlaw Star universe allows for the possibility that the sword might be enhanced magically, modified technologically, or just be made from some rare alien wood that's harder than steel. However I like the mystic samurai secret technique explanation. It helps explain Ranma 1/2's Kuno, who demonstrates the same proficiency with his wooden sword (until he loses his mind and is forever demoted to a source of comic relief). |
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animeboy12
Posts: 160 |
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Jedi Master, brings up a good point that I would put in had I not been so tired.
True, a lot of anime series pretty much just explain why the character has a lot of strength though magic or scifi. Personally, I think that kinda sad, and would more anime to lean to strength by training instead of the easyway out. I don't know why it would unnecessary though, as much thought character design put in their anime I find most of the stuff derivative. I guess I just surprised over the variety of body type female characters have in comics and videogames but not so much in anime. |
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sk1199
Posts: 162 |
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When you're looking at Outlaw Star why not check out Aysha Clan-Clan (sp)? She's not a pure human, but humanoid enough. If you want muscles watch her in some of her fight scenes.
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Jedi Master
Posts: 400 |
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Oh yeah, the women's wrestling episode in particular did feature some muscular women. It makes sense that a competition like that would try their best to screen out magically or artificially enhanced applicants. Thus, the competitors would have to train their bodies to be naturally strong. |
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Unit 03.5-ish
Posts: 1540 Location: This space for rent |
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Even if magical powers/whatever seem like a cop-out, it's not just girls. Men often get some kind of magical ability in these shows, too.
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animeboy12
Posts: 160 |
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True but even then men are more likely to the body the makes sense for the magic. Take fate stay night for example. |
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Craeyst Raygal
 Posts: 1383 Location: In the garage, beneath a 1970 MGB GT. |
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Despite her bust size, the case could be made for Cutie Honey, or quite a few Go Nagai women for that matter.
And why does this thread remind me of Benny Hill's character in The Italian Job? |
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Unit 03.5-ish
Posts: 1540 Location: This space for rent |
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Actually, a woman's strength in anime seems to be often directly proportional to her bust size.
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Beltane70
 Posts: 3960 |
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Don't forget about Appleseed's Duenan Knute. No magic or technological enhancements to her fighting ability. She actually relies on her own skill and physical abilities.
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