Favorite Fictional Characters

Nothing sophisticated and of important came up in my mind recently, so please pardon me for another episode of useless rambling. The topic today--as you can see for yourselves--is my favorite fictional characters. How does one define “favorite”? For me, the matter is quite simple. “Favorite characters” are the ones I’m so obsessed with that I take the trouble to search for their profile info, character analysis, and fanfictions featuring them. Crazy fangirl.

Without further ado, lets on with the show. Here they are (in no particular order).

Luna Lovegood (of Harry Potter)
Just when you think that the wizarding world couldn’t be much weirder, Luna came along. Her belief in the supposedly non-existent being (and basically anything too spectacular to be true), her odd fashion sense, her peculiar comments--you name it. JKR said that having Luna was somewhat a comic relief--especially with the way each books getting even darker and darker--but I think Luna served more purpose than that. In Book 5, Harry was reluctant to sit in the same compartment with Luna due to her oddities. His opinion towards Luna changed in Book 6, where he didn’t simply perceive her as an odd girl as everyone else. It proved that Harry had learned to not judge someone by their appearance, thanks to his interaction with Luna. In that sense, we can say that Luna had helped Harry to develop as a character. That’s why I love her. I love her weirdness too, by the way.

Arisugawa Sorata (of X/1999)
Amongst all the “dark”, depressed, heart-wrecking nuances of X/1999, it’s such relief to have a character like Sorata around. Every time he appeared on the scene, I found it impossible not to grin upon his actions and remarks (like the time he suggested to go to an okonomiyaki restaurant because “you couldn’t fight with an empty stomach”, just when you thought that Kamui would kill Arashi with his deadly glare). Too bad he’s going to die in the end of the series in order to “protect the woman I love”. Gallant or corny, you decide!

Faramir (of Lord of the Rings)
One couldn’t help but like this character after what he’d done to our hero Frodo. Faramir could easily snatch The Ring from Frodo for his own selfish uses--earning a bit of his father respect in the process--but he didn’t. You got to respect him for that; it took a great deal of willpower not to fall for the temptation of The Ring. Courageous, intelligent, wise, thoughtful, loyal--Faramir was the archetype of the perfect gentleman you often encountered in such stories (with a little bit of sad tragedy in him, though).

Tsukishiro Yukito (of Card Captor Sakura)
Yukito was the very personification of cuteness. Well, he/she/it/whatever was not actually a person, but you know what I mean :D. Yukito was so cute you wanted to eat him/her/it/whatever. Too bad his/her/its/whatever alter-ego didn’t share the same charm.

Saitou Hajime (of Rurouni Kenshin)
Saitou Hajime was based on a real life character of the same name. The real Saitou was a controversial figure; once being the member of the Shinsengumi (a “police force” formed by the Tokugawa Shogunate to maintain peace and order in Kyoto), he later on joined the Tokyo Metropolitan Police during the Meiji era. Contradiction was also an important element of RK’s Saitou. He loved killing, but he would only kill the bad guys (Saitou’s motto is “Kill evil instantly”)--be it a lowlife scum or a corrupted politician. Saitou’s only master was Japan that it mattered not to him where he’s at as long as he could do something to protect the land (Watsuki’s way to explain Saitou’s controversial affiliation with the Shinsengumi AND the Meiji Police). Besides Saitou’s contradictory nature, I also love his cool gatotsu stance and his continual snickers towards Kenshin-gumi.

Helga G. Pataki (of Hey Arnold!)
One didm’t need an aptitude test (Hello, Mr. Simmons!) to find out that Helga was a genius. Unfortunately, Helga was keener on keeping up her class-bully image--her way to hide her insecurity--instead of showing her brilliance to the whole world. Helga’s parents (Bob the narcissistic father and Miriam the smoothie-addicted mother) had always been more infatuated with her perfect older sister Olga ever since Helga was young which consequently made them indifferent towards her. It’s no wonder that when she met the first person who showed some consideration (Arnold), she fell for him instantly. One doesn’t usually suppose a character of a children animation series could have much depth, but Helga showed otherwise.

Kurogane (of TSUBASA RESERVoir CHRONiCLE)Behind his constant frown and the lack of courtesy, Kurogane undoubtedly has good heart and a caring nature. Fai had it right when he said that Kurogane was the father figure of the party. Apart from that, I find Kurogane’s easily irked nature--which was why Fai, Mokona, Tomoyo, and even Yuuko--as one of the most interesting spectacles of TRC. I just love the weird nicknames used by Fai and Mokona to piss Kurogane off--Kurotan, Kuropon, Kurorin, Kurochii, Kuromyuu, Kurowanwan, etc. I sure am missing those nicknames, now that Fai (and Mokona, consequently) doesn’t address Kurogane in the same manner anymore.

Well, that’s it. Until next time then.