The Yuribou guide to fanservice for animators #3 – Character types Part 2

Posted on | August 14, 2007 | 3 Comments |

| So many characters, so few character types – How can you make your character more than just crass otaku fodder? Read on to find out…

Welcome back to the Yuribou guide to fanservice for animators! Have you chosen the main character classes for the girls in your harem yet? If not, then go back to the previous chapter and do so right now! It is traditional to get a good mix of different major types in your harem, but a good storyline and interesting characters can also be gained by using more of the flexible classes such as “normal” and “strong willed” – I’ll leave it up to you to decide.

Now we come to the minor character classes.

These are different to the major classes since any one character may possess any number of these minor classes, and in different combinations. However, some of the minor classes go better together with certain major classes and other combinations are completely forbidden (though with some thought could make a novel new character type!). You’ll see what we mean as you read on…

Tomboy (Not with class: Ojou, Quiet) – Your character seems to have the urge to do boyish things such as get into fights, wear short hair, participate in contact or track and field sports or protect weaker kids. Although scruffy in appearance they often clean up well. e.g. Tomari Kurusu – Kasimasi
Handy (Not with class: Ojou) – Your character has a penchance for fixing things and building things. Often end up as mechanics or assistants to protagonists. Remember, pretty girls who can dismantle and rebuild a car engine in 30 mins flat are hot. e.g. Winry Rockbell – FMA

| Lilith – Major class – Vamp, Minor classes – Relationship driven/clingy, yuri, ditzy, lazy.

Relationship driven/Clingy (Not with class: Tsundere, Quiet) – These girls spend their whole appearances hanging off the arm of their respective significant other, whether they are in a canon relationship or not. Often paired with the “Vamp” major class to make characters that persevere for whole series in order to get them to notice them. e.g. Maharu - Girl’s Bravo
Soft Spoken (Not with class: Energetic, Vamp) – Usually implies “voiced by Mamiko Noto” but also includes other characters in which they are not necessarily shy but are either understated or extremely polite. Goes well with the Ojou major type. e.g. Yakumo Tsukamoto – School Rumble
Yuri – Your character likes girls more than boys. Occasionally bisexual. Can be paired with any of the major classes for a wide range of yuri fun. e.g. Anna-chan - HIMM
Evil – Often pretend to be good and are outed at some point or may be the bad guy all along. Usually a badly done class with poor character development but there is a lot of potential, particularly if they turn good at the ends. e.g. Fate Testarossa – Nanoha
Older than she seems – Your character has the body of a younger girl (i.e. jailbait) but is actually older (I wouldn’t go so far as to say legal…) Otherwise known as “Loli – appearance”. Can either be naive or precocious for her age. Often has the “obsessed with breast size” accessory. e.g. Yutaka Kobayakawa – Lucky Star
Younger than she seems (Not with class: Loli)

Tall and Cool – She’s in the same year as everyone else but stands a good foot or so above them. Bust size? Often world class. Underclassmen and classmates adore them, they get love letters from other girls and college boys alike. Often not as cool as they seem. e.g. Sakaki-san – Azudai
Mothering – Your character has a mothering instinct and a heart the size of a blue whale. Often seen squeezing the life out of girls or boys either younger or that look younger than they are. Bust size often J-league. Classically paired with the Ditzy minor class. e.g. Chizuru Naba – Negima!

| Tsuruya – Major class – Energetic, Minor classes – Older than she seems, ditzy, eccentric/random

Gloating (hohoho) – These girls are full of themselves and always quick to gloat at others’ misfortunes. More often than not belong to the Ojou class but other classes can have this trait as well. They often have a softer side/weakness to a particular thing or else they are just plain evil. e.g. Ayaka Yukihiro – Negima
Ditzy (mamama) – Your girl gives off the impression of her head not quite being at the same altitude as the rest of her. Although they seem like their head is in the clouds, they often have an Uncanny ability or unusual insight into situations and often also have the mothering class e.g. Mutsumi Otohime – Love Hina
Sporty – Good at sports, sometimes unusually good given their body habitus. Don’t necessarily like sports that they are good at. Often of the “Energetic+Stupid” class but can be combined with any class. e.g. Kagura-san – AzuDai
Fighter – Skilled at any or all kinds of martial arts or fighting. This includes ninjas, weapon users, soldiers, magic users, martial artists and swordswomen. An oft used class that is generally overrepresented and if not handled carefully can end up in characters becoming dull. e.g. Hakufu Sonsaku – Ikkitousen
Studious (Not with class: Energetic+Stupid) – Either a hard worker at school, or naturally gifted in intelligence. More often than not paired with the Quiet(shy) major class +/- glasses to create the archetypal meganekko. e.g. Shinobu Maehara (Love Hina)
Lazy – Usually a Vamp class girl whose primary activity is sitting underneath a tree usually on a hill somewhere out back or on a pier overlooking an uncommonly serene lake. Abhors schoolwork and generally unmotivated or just plain lazy. Occasionally has above average talent but loathes to use it. e.g. Sayoko Kurosaki- Mahoraba
Violent – Although an integral part of the “tsundere” major class, other characters can also be violent. Violent minor class refers not to fighters who fight when they have to, but to characters who lash out when it’s generally considered socially unacceptable. e.g. Kaname Chidori – FMP!

| Natsuki Kuga – Major class – Tsundere, minor classes – Tomboy, fighter, unexpectedly embarassable/naive

Obsessed with breast size (Not with class: Vamp)- Girls with modest breast size that constantly fear the yearly school medical which shows that their bust size has not increased one inch in the previous year. A very common trait and one that can have comedic value if used correctly. e.g. Najimi Osana – Doujin Work
Obsessed with weight – Non overweight girls who are paranoid about putting on weight. Remember, anorexia doesn’t exist in anime O_o. e.g. Koyomi Mizuhara – AzuDai
Submissive (Not with class: Vamp) – Girls who naturally diffuse to the bottom. Some may exhibit strength but are naturally submissive when faced with a dominant character. Also refers to characters who are bound to other characters in terms of servitude or owe a debt of gratitude. e.g. Setsuna Sakurazaki – Negima
Dominant (Not with class: Loli) – The opposite of above. Girls who like to dominate others (or either gender). Often have a pet of downtrodden best friend who receives the bulk of the dominance (often a childhood friend). Often have an unexpectedly softer side. e.g. Takako Itsukushima – OtoBoku
Eccentric/Random – All girls who exhibit completely random behaviour or have a strange personality that makes it difficult to predict what they will do next. This covers a range of different character types such as the outside thinkers (Osaka – AzuDai), the over-the-toppers (Namiko Tsuki – Kasimasi) and the downright insane (Kaolla Suu – Love Hina)
Photographer/stalker – Often a member of the news club or photography club, this type will usually go to any length to get a scoop No matter how many people they hurt along the way. When combined with the “Relationship driven/Clingy” class they become stalkers. e.g. Kazumi Asakura – Negima
Otaku – Unusual girls who are unnaturally obsessed with something (that usually only boys would get obsessed about). Includes anime otaku, cosplay otaku, military otaku. e.g. Kanako Ohno – Genshiken
Sensible/Voice of reason – Generally a girl whose only purpose is to stand beside the protagonist or female leads and bounce arguments back and forth. Instrumental in resolving things when things get ugly but generally in the background. With the correct script and a good choice of other minor traits could make for interesting main characters also. e.g. Ayuki Mari – Kasimasi
Unexpectedly kind – Another archetypal trait of the “tsundere” major class, unexpectedly kind refers to girls who suddenly and inexplicably do kind acts to which they either deny having done them or deny thanks. Usually a symptom of a secret crush or alternatively the kinder half of a girl with the “Gloating” minor class. e.g. Louise Francoise blahblahblah de la Valliere – Zero no Tsukaima
Unexpectedly embarassable/naive (Not with class: Vamp) Whether it’s just talking about kissing or not having read a full yaoi rape doujin before, the blushes on a naive girl learning the ropes is always burning with moe. Usually applied to the “Quiet(shy)” major class but is also amusing in “Ojou” and “Tsundere” type girls. e.g. Kagami Hiiragi – Lucky Star
Precocious (Not with class: Loli) – A girl who knows her way around…well, usually places that are best not mentioned before the 9:00pm watershed. (But are definitely mentioned in those 10 minute cable previews) I think you get the idea. Usually a device that can cause blushing in the oposite (naive) type or something to be used to comic effect. For greatest comic effect, use together with “Older than she looks” or “Ditzy” minor classes. e.g. (most recently) Rin Kokonoe – Kodomo no Jikan.
Scaredycat – Girls who are naturally scared of virtually everything and often cling to others for help when scary things pop up. Example that pops into mind – Hazumu Osaragi – Kasimasi
Other minor trait

That concludes the minor classes. Remember, a character can take any number of minor traits but only one major class (unless that class is “strong willed”) and that there are certain combinations of minor traits that are generally accepted and that others may be more controversial

Get experimenting! See you in Part 3!

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Category: Anime, Editorials, Humour?, Philosophy/Thoughts

Comments

3 Responses to “The Yuribou guide to fanservice for animators #3 – Character types Part 2”

Merkabah
August 15th, 2007 @ 12:08 am

does fapping to Kodomo no Jikan make you a p3d0?
Lovely
August 15th, 2007 @ 12:33 am

Love it!! xDD
Nemo
August 15th, 2007 @ 1:28 pm

Lol, this is a brilliant series! At the end, I suggest you get several characters (literally loads) and class them all (also proving that the classing system is either a) perfect or b) broken.)