Akamatsuverse Asuna and Naru:

[Doctorfausto]

First, I'd like to say hello to the community because this is my first comment after lurking for about a year and a half. But besides that, I'd like to ask why other people think that Ken Akamatsu's reasons for making a very... strong-willed character as the leading female in both Love Hina and Mahou Sensei Negima.This isn't to say though that Naru and Asuna are the same character,because Asuna is much more likable in my opinion, and she has at least shown good qualities consistently in the manga. I have three basic ideas, but I always like to hear other's opinions, and since I have no friends that really read a large amount of manga, I believe that this is the best place to ask this. My idea's are as followed (I know that this isn't the best way to add the ideas, but for the moment it's the only way I could think of.)

Idea #1-The idea of a strong female is a common occurrence in many other mangas. Although I should be able to come up with examples, I'm running a blank for now.

Idea#2-For Negima, Ken Akamatsu might have seen that a character like Naru was well liked or easy to use in certain story lines that he had in mind.

Idea#3-From a psychological perspective, Ken Akamatsu might have had very strong females in his life from an early age, and this could be seen in his writings now. Although this is probably my most out there idea, it is still a semi-viable idea.

Note: If you believe that this topic doesn't belong here, I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure it should be in a talk section, but I'm not sure if it should be in the Love Hina section or the Negima section. If believed that it shouldn't be here, then please just say so.Also, if this idea is already out there please inform me.

 

[~NGD OMEGA~]

The strong female being a common occurance is the likely one. Sakura, Rukia, Asuna, Naru, Akane, Maka, heck Nami, all of them fit nearly the same mold of Tsundere (to varying degress of course). Ashita no Yoichi has a bunch of them too. It's generally the case for most of the popular manga.

It's rare to find a main female who isn't. I suppose one could argue Lucy from Fairy Tail as being a Tsundere, but I doubt it would hold much water... I know the female character from Double Arts isn't, though that may be because it's hard to punch a guy when she can't let go of his hand (J/K ). Katekyo Hitman Reborn also does a good job of breaking the mold too... And the one from Ookami ga Kuru!, as she reminds me of a more Supernatural obsessed Orihime. Oh, and the utter win that is Rappi Rangai.

That's just off the top of my head of course. There are definitely more that fit both descriptions of a female main. It's just the more popular manga tend to have Tsundere's as the female leads.

 

[Sect]

A good reason why a Tsundere is usually a main cast member is that they create character interaction by just BEING there. Usually, if you get a wallflower, or hell, just some normal girl, and have a situation such as the hero bumping into them and looking at her panties, they'll screech, run away, and avoid the hero at all costs, and there goes your main female lead (unless the hero has a reason for chasing after her). With a more strong willed, headstrong girl, she will most likely confront the male lead, and it goes on from there.

This is especially useful considering Negi's early wishy-washy behavior (he's nervous, over optimistic, and a bit overwhelmed by his duties).

And it's fine being here: it perfectly fits the forum's subject.

 

[Uldihaa]

I'll add to what others have said with this: a strong-willed character (male or female) is able to both react and act; that is the character has the needed ability to move the plot forward on her/his own without much 'outside' pushing.

Strong-willed characters tend to be more dynamic, and interesting in my opinion, than wall-flowers or 'normal' characters. Those strong-willed types have goals and dreams that they actively pursue, giving the author a handy 'plot-goad'. If you look at the vast majority of stories, of any kind, they all have at least one strong-willed character that pushes the plot along.

Also, strong-willed females are frankly very appealing. It's much easier to cheer for a character that's actively moving forward toward his/her goal than it is to do the same for a character passively waiting for his/her goal to come to them.

 

[~NGD OMEGA~]

Also, strong-willed females are frankly very appealing. It's much easier to cheer for a character that's actively moving forward toward his/her goal than it is to do the same for a character passively waiting for his/her goal to come to them.

Actually you kind of have it backwards there. Tsundere's, or at least the type that we generally see in these stories, actively push their goals further away through their actions. They don't move forward in their pursuits at all in the beginning, they more often move backwards. Where a typical shy girl would generally accept the affections of the one they liked, a Tsundere will instead push them away, even if they start to like them back and actually want to pursue them. They don't generally persue their target at all, they wait for their target to pursue them until they show enough moxy to actual get their affections returned. And even then you have to generally wait even longer. Basically a Tsundere a stalling tactic for romantic development, as they generally undermine their own desires and thus allow an author to easily string along the readers for far longer before finally backhanding you with it.

Conversely however the typical shy girl type will slowly build up the will to take steps forward with the relationship of the person they like. Best example of course is Nodoka, who has made the most progress by far with Negi than any of the other girls he wasn't blatently clueless about (Chachamaru :rofl. She's constantly moving forwards with her relationship with him, step by step. So in actuality it appears that the reverse of your statement is probably true.

Further, some Tsunderes, particularly Sakura and Asuna, actually show both characteristics. :blink: :huh: I know. Basically with Sasuke before the time skip she was really shy around him, but generally kept pushing forwards with her affections, to the point where there was the tragic fallout on the path. With Naruto however it's reversed, and she keeps pushing him away from her despite the fact that she slowly starts to accept him for who he is. With Asuna she's a lot more confident with Negi (Though she doesn't go to the typical extremes due to his youth), but not so much with Takahata. There is a likely reason for this that I will now go into.

Tsundere characters generally only work in a situation where the stubborn person is in love with them, not the reverse when they are in love with someone else. Both Sakura and Asuna show why. Whenever the one they share affections for is involved, they will generally lose the normal characteristics that define them as Tsunderes. Asuna becomes Nodoka levels of shy (And beyond given she actually states just how much braver Nodoka is than her) and Sakura takes a major blow in the confidence category too.

The shy girl type generally only works in a situation where they are either not noticed by the one they like, or the one they like doesn't really see them in that way. Because if the shy girl likes a guy that likes them back, and then the guy musters up the courage to confess without the necessary development for the shy girl to try, all you get is fluff.

However this is iffy at this point, given the introduction of new types I wasn't aware of before. In Katekyo Hitman reborn and To-love-ru the character the main is pursuing is actually more of a shy type. And the situations involved generally lead to the development actually taking longer. I'll have to study it for a bit longer to make sure, but it may be possible to pull the development the oposite way as well for both of them while still keeping them somewhat in character.

But this doesn't change the fact that the above examples are by far the most common.

 

[Jakkun]

It is pretty formulaic to have a tsundere of some level and then a girl that counter balances it. The other girl doesn't always have the same interest but they can curb the tsundere's actions a bit. Since there are limited types that would actually be interesting, at least one tsundere is needed. Sometimes they throw in a yandere, sometimes not.

 

[Uldihaa]

Actually you kind of have it backwards there. Tsundere's, or at least the type that we generally see in these stories, actively push their goals further away through their actions.

That would be true, but I really don't consider either Naru or Asuna as true tsundere. A tsundere is unpleasant and/or unfriendly to everyone, not just the main male lead. Both Asuna and Naru are actually very friendly people, with the exception of the main male character. My standard for a true tsundere is someone like Rin Tosaka from Fate/Stay Night. Just what term I'd use for Asuna and characters like her...well I haven't really found one yet :snigger: .

Of the Negima cast, I'd say that Chisame. She's cold toward her classmates and Negi, but over time warms up to both...even if she stills thinks they are all still idiots.

Still, you have a point that their actions and words do cause more set-backs than not.

Edit: Mana's not really a tsundere either, as Ryogas_BF pointed out...I really need to stop posting late at night .

 

[Ryogas_BF]

Actually you kind of have it backwards there. Tsundere's, or at least the type that we generally see in these stories, actively push their goals further away through their actions.

That would be true, but I really don't consider either Naru or Asuna as true tsundere. A tsundere is unpleasant and/or unfriendly to everyone, not just the main male lead. Both Asuna and Naru are actually very friendly people, with the exception of the main male character. My standard for a true tsundere is someone like Rin Tosaka from Fate/Stay Night. Just what term I'd use for Asuna and characters like her...well I haven't really found one yet :snigger: .

Of the Negima cast, I'd say that Chisame and Mana are true tsudere, particularly Chisame. She's cold toward her classmates and Negi, but over time warms up to both...even if she stills thinks they are all still idiots.

Still, you have a point that their actions and words do cause more set-backs than not.

I don't think Mana fits the 'tsundere' mold IMO... :huh.: she come soff more as a 'professional' to me and there has been very little 'dere' in her.

 

[Uldihaa]

I don't think Mana fits the 'tsundere' mold IMO... :huh.: she come soff more as a 'professional' to me and there has been very little 'dere' in her.

I edited my post. I was actually rather ambivalent about Mana anyway.