Anime Face-Off Round 4: THAT Babe of Fall 2007

Borrowing the theme of our closet lolicon, Shokkeru (Oops, I am not supposed to say that right), we have our fourth round of anime face-off. Of course, since we are halfway through the fall season, it is about time that the guys of the blog have their time to show off their favorite anime babe of the season. As we have a huge growth in bloggers lately, you can share your fan love with one of the bloggers here, or perhaps slam us all for having no taste. However, if you ever try to slam my favorite character, I wish you hell.

HELL!

Anyway, cursing aside, it’s time to check on all our bloggers, and their favorite babe that they will never have in their entire days. Oh, the agony of mortals!

I am perhaps the slowest ever anime blogger to watch this show, despite many assertions by Crusader that this show is the bomb. I did not take his word for it as yet, until I watched Shugo Chara Episode 1 to 5 in a mini-marathon today. My god, I finally realized (slowpoke.jpg) that this is perhaps the best show for me. For one, Amu is a loli with a rather “cool and spicy” outward behavior, that is generally brought by her immense shyness toward people. She is the completely misunderstood character, thought to be cool when it’s just that she does not know how to deal with attention.

Without spoiling anything major about her, she is a mahou shoujo with a twist, and her costumes are yet another flat-chested-lolicious cuteness overwhelming brilliance. I mean, this is what a lolicon dreams of, an innocent shy, yet a tad tsundere mahou shoujo. It’s quite a waste that she is not green haired, because that will make her the first place in my top list of green hair lolis (since Tsuruya isn’t strictly a loli). Nevertheless, she gets my pick over a tough choice between her, Miya Miya and Kyou. I guess it’s just right that I chose her. Support her and watch the show. I hope you will laugh at her antics as much as I do!

Fortunately or unfortunately, there are many delicious tsunderes to choose from this season to make my THAT babe selection. The decision was rough, and I could have gone with some other great tsunderes, but Reika takes my pick for several reasons, aside from the fact that she looks delicious.

First off, she doesn’t take shit from people and tells them what’s on her mind. Second, she’s brilliant, commanding a financial empire of some sorts to the extent that pressing a couple of buttons on her laptop could crash the national economy. Third, despite her high social status and wealth she takes her job of being a maid seriously, and is quite skilled and keeping the house in order. She enforces order and cleanliness in the house with an iron boot, so to speak. Did I mention she looks delicious in the maid outfit? Yeah, that too. Accompanying all of that natural ability is her tsundere qualities, although so far in the show it’s been mostly tsuntsun (with the exception of a brief moment at the end of episode 5). Her seiyu plays the part brilliantly as well, both sides of her tsundere personality are delivered with convincing emotion.

Oh by the way, did I mention she has an alternate succubus personality that she doesn’t know about (see right picture). And that personality is quite aggressive toward Shungo, she knows what she wants. I love characters with alternate personalities, and her succubus side is so much hotter than Mayu who is all chest and no personality. Personally, I prefer intelligent and assertive women like Reika that are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside rather than one dimensional airheads like her co-star Mayu.

Incapacitated Sleeping Beauty Soma is fine too.

While Kampfgruppen Crusader is firmly supporting Amu-chan of Shugo Chara in all of her offensive operations to claim Ikuto by right of conquest, Amu-chan is not a babe. Otome yes, babe no; perhaps when she grows into womanhood shall otaku every where will sing the Lay of Amulet Spade. Until then no self respecting non loli-con can hold such dishonorable intentions for mein good Feldwebel. Given the dire situation of the state of Gundam 00′s female cast Kampfgruppen Crusader’s 316th Heavy Panzer Abteilung as been sent to bolster the efforts Soma Peiris in her struggle against the Gundam menace. Soma has a grateful fatherland and glorious struggle, honor will she gain and blood shall she shed for the red anvil. What sensible rational being can not find this cause worthy? She fights an enemy that is better equipped and protected by the pen of Sunrise, this alone is reason enough to admire her courage.

After seeing Crest of the Stars I am more convinced than ever that no female captain in anime land save Tessa, Haruhi-sama, St. Nagato-chi, and Kaptain Mikuru, can approach the quality that the Abh officer corps has produced. Sorry Sumeragi but Lexshu and Spoor are both better shipmasters than you will ever be. Also neither ever lowered themselves to date a Billy goat. Of all the otome this season none are in more desperate need of support as 2LT Soma. Her female peers are all lacking in intelligence and self respect. Ms. Wang expressed interest in Saji, Sumeragi ruined her self for marriage by dating/bedding Billy goat, Christina is missing a few marbles, Louise likes Saji, Kinue is a bigot, Mariana is a despot, Shirin is a political hack, and Felt is about as interesting as a piece of lint. Given that 2LT Soma is the only one not stupid or otherwise ruined, she is the only respectable one out of the lot. Besides nothing is sexier than a woman whose intelligence rivals or exceeds your own. Stupidity ruins all, remember that.

Not only is 2LT Soma 18 years old and all woman, but she was also brutally assaulted by a Gundam Meister, yet she remains defiant. Only the truly heartless have no sympathy for her or are hardo gei for that rapist Hallelujah. Unlike CB she fights for volk and fatherland instead of some retarded cause like communism or a war to end all wars. Her youthful physique is not laid low by gravity nor is she as flirtatious or materialistic as her contemporaries. As an otome Soma has exemplified how less is more especially in the amount of cleavage flaunted. Soma’s fashion sense leaves much to the imagination rather than showing off how gravity can be the bane of older women. Even in her skimpiest outfit she still looks dignified, and with a simple metal circlet she looks like Elven royalty. When faced with a Gundam Meister rapist she resisted with the utmost vigor and nearly killed Saji and Louise in the process. If nothing else her fine silver hair can easily be dyed green.

Picking my favorite “babe” was hard since we have a lot of interesting female characters this season (Shion from shion no Ou, Amu-chan from Shugo Chara, Kana Minami from Minami-ke, etc). But one that really attracted me was Chihiro, the tragic heroine of one of the story plots of Ef: A Tale of Memories. One of the things that pop out immediately is her fragile physique: short hair, small height, her eyepatch; all elements that contribute to her aura and makes us care for her at first sight. This is reinforced by her personality and psychological issues. Due to an car accident, she loses her left eye and inflitcs her with anterograde amnesia, which makes her lose the memories past thirteen hours previous, except the one before the accident. In an effort to keep her life, she keeps writing her memories in several diaries and reads them constantly to refresh her remembrance.

So we have a girl which events of life have conspired against her, but keeps trying to live the best way she can. Several times she has though of giving up and just let it go away, but doesn’t because she’s afraid not of losing her memories but of disappearing from the memories of the ones she cares.

My definition of anime babe is a bit different from the normal fan. I tend to prioritize personality and personal attitudes instead of the physical look (I look the inside then the outside, by other terms). And by those terms, Chihiro is my “babe” of the season.

Even though there are many cute and hot female characters this season, none of them really struck me as “favorite” material. I mean sure you have shows like Clannad, ef, and Da Capo II which were made to have lovable girls for otakus to drool over. But none of them were just cutting it for me. It was not until I took a long shot and decided to watch the latest episode of Sketchbook that I found the “babe” that captivated me.

I am, of course, referring to the latest addition to the Sketchbook cast, Kate(Keito)… sort of like the reverse Ana Coppola. There are many reasons why I absolutely love this character. She’s cute, cheerful, lively and best of all… her over-the-top Japanese pronunciation absolutely kills me (in a good way). I don’t know why but I guess cute girls who don’t roll their R’s when they speak Japanese is sort of my new “moe”. And also, the classic white summer outfit and the fact that she can do magic tricks is always an eye-catcher for me.

I know she’s only appeared in one episode so far and I’m not sure if she’ll have any significant roles in later episodes but, I absolutely think that she is my favorite of this season. So here’s hoping for more Kate screen time. ^^