|
|
The Good: Kenshin is one of the coolest swordsmen alive, and Kaoru ain’t half-bad with the bokken herself. (Not even Kenshin would have the guts to fight in a flower-printed kimono). Hey, it’s good to know that even way back in the old Edo, Japan, women can defend themselves and step up women’s rights! The best thing here is that they like each other, they KNOW they like each other, but they show it through their actions instead of just mouthing out meaningless love babble.
The Bad: Kaoru isn’t above being the damsel in distress, though. Kenshin had to rescue her a couple of times throughout the full series. Unlike most other females depicted as whining, blubbering and with save-me-I’m-so-helpless acts though, Kaoru keeps her cool and can handle her own. But then again...Kaoru’s 17, while Kenshin’s 28 and had already been married before. Isn’t ten years or so too much of an age difference?
The Good: They say there’s a good woman behind every good man. Keiko doesn’t really fight professionally, but she’s the main reason why Yusuke’s so darn powerful as he is in the series. It’s obvious as to why Yuusuke, with all his suave Reiki techniques, can be referred to as “cool”, but if Keiko ever did learn to fight, she’d probably be a match for most other fighters! She does tend to hit Yuusuke more times than necessary, but she makes up for that in more ways than one.
The Bad: Early on in the series, their relationship isn’t as good as it is later on, as it consisted mainly of flipping skirts and slaps heard halfway to China. It has developed a lot more since then as the series progresses, and you can actually see how their relationship matures, up to the point when you suddenly realize, “Hey, they talk things over now, instead of hitting each other when they’re mad like they used to before.” Now *that* is a true romance.
The Good: Heero Yuy is cool, that goes without saying. He blows enemies - and himself - up on a daily basis, is noted for his famous “Omae wa korosu” (I’ll kill you) said in a low emotionless monotone, and is a jack-of-all-trades, from hacker to weapons expert to Gundam pilot. And he’s only 15 years old. Relena, on the other hand, is the epitome of the modern woman —very,very, VERY modern, as the series takes place in the future. She’s managed to work her way up from ambassador’s daughter to one of the most powerful officials of that time. Their relationship isn’t really that much expressive, Heero being Heero, but they manage to convey the fact that they *do* have a relationship without making it too obvious.
The Bad: Maybe if Heero changes expression once in awhile. Maybe if Relena doesn’t use too much of a logical approach whenever she confronts Heero. As Gundam Wing is a mecha series first and foremost, the romance plot isn’t all that obvious. (It doesn’t help that Heero has tried to kill Relena a couple of times. True, he couldn’t do it, but that sort of thing doesn’t really get one a girlfriend in the first place.) Maybe if she piloted a Gundam, it would add to her appeal.
|
|||
|
____________________________________________________ All works are copyrighted and trademarks of their respective owners. Our deepest apologies if we fail to mention them. If there are any copyright violations incurred, do not hesitate to inform us. The use of any material here without proper permission from the magazine and their respective authors is strictly prohibited. Distribution of P.Otaku Bytes is free. We are a non-profit organization. |
|||||
