Building a Better Party, V.E. style
by V.E. on December 7th, 2009
filed under anime/manga
So, I got this idea from rakuen42 over at her blog and it’s been mulling in my mind for over a month while NaNo and other craziness happened. The rules:
I’ve been wanting to do just a fun post to get our readers thinking for a while now, and I think this is a pretty good prompt for you all. We’ve all thought about what would make the ideal group, party, or what have you, from fictional characters. The most likely setting is a fantasy RPG world, but if you want to pick out somewhere else (school?), go right ahead. The limits are any media derived from Japanese culture, this includes video games, anime, manga, drama series, and so forth.
Now, when you do this, I want you to try and be creative about it. Sure, you can make a party of Cloud, Squall, Vincent, and Riku, but, everyone’s thought of it, and it’s not a terribly interesting group choice as is. Of course, if you want to write a 10 page dissertation proving me wrong, more power to you. Also, keep in mind that your characters need to be balanced. They need to be able to work together not just on the field of battle, but also everywhere else as well. It’s no good to have a bunch of expert warriors if no one knows how to cook!
Generally, the party system is either a four- (tank/magic user/healer/thief) or five- (leader/tank/smart guy/chick/lancer) person archetype, so I’m going to see how well I can do while only choosing four or five characters.
#1 Hitsugaya Toshiro
…from BLEACH. This guy is bad ass and can use a sword like nobody’s business, and he doesn’t like it when people make fun of his height. (But he’s sooo cute all short like that! Kawaii!) He’s level-headed and has leadership experience, and he’s the first guy I thought of to put on my team. I actually like other BLEACH characters better, but I’m going for companion ability and overall fitness for a team, not just who’s coolest.
#2 Sailor Pluto
…from the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon metaverse. She could also step into the leadership role if necessary. Powerful, easy-going, and damn—she has the key to Time itself. How can you go wrong with a power like that? She doesn’t use her power lightly, however, and that could be troubling if other party members don’t take her seriously. Fortunately, she’s a serious character, so there’s no worry. (Sailor Moon, on the other hand…)
#3 Eve Neuschwanstein
…from NEEDLESS. She can’t remember anyone’s name, so she’ll probably end up calling everyone something like “Yamada” or “Uchiro” but she’s proven to be a capable fighter when it matters. She needs a lot of calories to keep up her power, though, which is “Doppelganger” and which allows her to transform herself into various shapes and weapons and also lets her heal other party members.
#4 Himemiya Anthy
…from Shoujo Kakumei Utena. Beautiful and submissive, Anthy works best under the direction of a strong leader and with group members who will respect her. She can cook, clean, and she houses the Sword of Dios in her own body. Though she appears selfless and loving, she can be passive-aggressive and has a tragic and sinister past which partially dictates her current behavior. She makes things interesting, to be sure.
So, those are my four. What do you guys think? Who would you choose to be in your party?
