Orihime or Winry: who is treated better / worst by the author (SPOILERS)

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Applecheekies

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Orihime Inoue or Winry Rockbell who is treated better by their author or who is treated worst by the authors which ever way you want to view it?

In the two series it is full of strong female characters, but ironicly the two of them the two respective female leaRAB / love interest are reduced to danzels in distress characters. (Some might say Rukia is the female lead in Bleach, maybe in the beginning but not anymore she is just another supporting character now) They both in different ways are healers to our hero.

Back to my point of series with strong female characters, I think more so FMA than Bleach. The female characters are playing important rules in the climax part of the story including a little girl for goodness sakes. Bleach on the other hand, all of the female characters are either forgotten or not doing anything important, for example Yorichi for instance hasn't appeared since Ichigo went to Hueco Mundo, Rukia has not appeared for a while. So at least Orihime has some company.

I am not complaining, or saying they should play a more important rule, though it would be nice if the authors didn't forget about them and keep us updated on their whearabouts ever few chapters. Just noticing simularties between the two, Kubo and Arakawa deffently don't mind showing you that women can kick butt as well as men, but when it comes to the love interests of the main hero, it seems they are afraid of immasculating the main hero.

To answer my own question, I think Winry has had more character development over the course of the series, and sometimes she has inspired others to make life changing decessions, Orihime is still almost the same person she was at the beginning.

Off topic, if I didn't know better, you would think Orihime is related to the Rockbells more than Winry. The Rockbells were doctors that would treat anybody during the war, no matter who they were. Orihime is similar, she will heal anybody even an admitted enemy.
 
I'm arguing from a relative position of weakness since I'm only in the mid-20s on Brotherhood, but even though I'm not up to date I think that Winry's been treated better. Her relationships to the Elrics feel more authentic and have been better developed than Orihime's connection to the rest of the cast. Winry's been a part of their lives since childhood, Inoue was initially just the friend of a friend and had to start from zero with Ichigo/Chad/Ishida. Also, to the extent that there's some romantic tension between Ed and Winry (if you think there is any), it goes both ways and FMA has gone to considerable lengths to show how much Ed and Al care about Winry. Just one example out of a few is when Winry is facing Scar, and the brothers are pretty much begging her to not stain her hanRAB with blood.

Winry doesn't have any power and she's not an action girl like Hawkeye, true. But that's completely fine; she's not supposed to be one. I think that's better than being given powers and then having them being rendered ineffectual more often than not.
 
I know, for me it is not about that. I am not saying she should be fighting alongside everyone else, but maybe be there more often alongside the Erics cheering them on and providing moral support, keeping them on their toes, and to provide first aid.

Actully if you compare her role to the women of Bleach, Winry is Orihime / Rukia / Tatsuki all ruled into one. She is a love interest, keeps the main character grounded, and childhood friend all roled into one.

I agree the romantic tension between Ed and Winry is more two way than Ichigo and Orihime's romantic tension. But that is more because Ichigo and Ed are different. Ed doesn't have Ichigo's women issues. Ichigo freaks out when put into romantic or sexual situation. If Ichigo ever fought Lust, that would be something, because Lush nature is to say and do things in a sexual nature and Ichigo freaks out when that happens.
 
Might be OT, but I'll say that they both get better treatment than these two:

http://www.amazon.com/Reborn-Vol-15-Akira-Amano/dp/1421528568/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273450199&sr=1-1

Just felt like bringing it up.
 
This whole thing can be summed up by how the two series overall are handled.

FMA, for the most part, knows how to balance out it's cast and make each person count for what they are worth. No one is insignificant.

Bleach seems to have to ADHD problems with handling its cast and NOT EVEN the main character is immune to this. They build up these characters and their stories to drop them into obscurity the moment the newest shiniest battle occurs.

Winry has been developed and well defined and her only true "distress" moment was when what happened recently in the manga, and that was only temporary and the involved main characters didn't even really focus on it.

Orihime, has been shifted into the "Princess in another castle" mode I still question "Hasn't she been rescued YET?! It's been like two and a half years!". Heck remeraber when Hueco Mundo started and Ichigo's frienRAB look liked they were going to get training (you know, Tatsuki and co.)? We still haven't touched on THAT, yet!

O-chan
 
One thing I am thankful for, they never did a rescue Winry arc, not only would have taking time from the plot, but it saved us from Winry spending extended time with a creep Homunculi gate keeper who tries to comprehent human emotions (they were able to do that with Greed anyway) and to have fans ship them. I would hate for people to want Ed to lose Winry to some jerk kidnapper.
 
Oh god, I don't even want to think about a kindapping arc that would unintentionally ship Winry with any of the Homunculi.

I mean, think about it.

Lust-That would be kinda hot but not for this manga
Gluttony-I can kind of see this in maybe the way a little girl takes care of a puppy but I don't think Gluttony has the intelligence to comprehend positive human emotions.
Envy-Another that could maybe work (especially in FMA1 if he revealed his true form because then you'd have Ed and the "other" Ed) but Brotherhood Envy is kind of a jerk (and genderless) so the implications would be totally fanon
Sloth-Too stupid
Greed-I think this fanon ship exists already, but I'd be too scared thinking he'd try to rape her or something. Plus, if it was Greeling kidnapping her, it would have an uneccesary love triangle between him, her and Lan Fan. Something that Arakawa has thankfully avoided such a cliche (I was sure we were going to get one with Ed/Winry/Rose when they were in that area)
Wrath-....Okay, this might have been possible. Not really possible, but it could be written.
Pride-Still a kid. Not happening.
 
I can argue that both Winrys are not 'damsels in distress'. Manga fans will give their credit, so I will mention Anime1Winry's credits:

-Rescuing Ed & Al and two Ishvalan brothers from some soldiers with some vehicle she whipped up. This vehicle got the brothers to Lior.
-Winry and Schisezka tried to bug Sloth's conversations with some machine she whipped up (its notable that Anime1 has Winry showing mechanical talents aside from automail). It must be noted that Winry's recognition of Sloth drew her away. Overall, the plan didn't quite work (just like trying to chase away Roy and his group with another machine she whipped up), but it does show Winry doesn't quite stand in the sidelines and let the guys do the work.
-In CoS Movie, Winry and Schieszka went to the Central Underground and gave Ed his automail.

And garfield15 has a point about what Anime1Envy might do to Winry. Think 'Edward and I share everything...'
 
Winry is an essential part of the Elrics' life and always helping them out. Orihime has been in a rut ever since the Hueco Mundo arc started and is now a weepy, wangsty damsel in distress because Kubo seems to like her that way.

Winry is treated better, no contest.
 
Kubo has no idea how to write his women. He gets it right sometimes, but Arakawa is the clear victor here. Orihime shows promise--especially when you consider the more manipulative aspects of her personality that she masks behind her more innocent persona. Her morality is also interesting in that she chose to heal someone who had wronged her--not even out of kindness, but out of a sense of duty. But recently, I can't even take her seriously anymore.

Winry, on the other hand, isn't just some helpless female. She has purpose and personality.
 
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