The first?.. A story of anime archetypes.

[walw6pK4Alo]

The Rei Ayanami type... does it have another name?

Is there a precursor to Rei?

Lol, i always called that one "Robot Girl" due to lack of emotions.

And i always thought she essentially defined that role, although there have been variations like "Yandere Robot/Doormat Girl" :wink:

She does indeed define the role, which is why the typical reference to that type of "dead-inside" character is that of a Rei Clone.

 

[EricJ]

As for Harem, the first modern harem was definitly Tenchi Muyo! with Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, and Fushigi Yugi, being series that came before Tenchi Muyo! but where not really modern harem as we know it.

Tenchi and O!MG invented Harem as we know it, but UY is (one) Magical Houseguest, and must be clearly genre-defined as to disqualify.

We will give historical points, however, to Ataru Moroboshi for first coining the word "Harem" to the multi-girl genre.
(As he often dreamed of creating, and remarked frequently upon the subject.)

 

[The King of Harts]

I don't know, Charred Knight. Ranma has a large nest of love with Akane, Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi. Meanwhile, Tenchi has Ryoko and Ayeka (the only two who are in love with him) and then everyone else. When it comes to women actually loving the protagonist in a romantic way, Ranma has the larger harem. Hell, it's still 1:6 of male to female in both series if you take into consideration all the women, but only 1/3 of the women love Tenchi and 2/3 of the women love Ranma.

:arrow: Tenchi- Ayeka, Ryoko, Wasshu, Mihoshi, Kiyone and Sasami
:arrow: Ranma- Akane, Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi, Nabiki and Kasumi


I also really want to disagree with Akane being based off Lum, but I don't know if I'm qualified to since I've only seen the first 10 episodes of Urusei Yatsura. In those 10 episodes, though, I saw Lum as a hardcore psycho. Akane is just kind of brutish from her martial arts training, but still softens up a good deal as the show progresses and was much more passive aggressive with the occasional punch.

 

[Spastic Minnow]

Brought back from slumber (not quite dead yet). It seems like we could play with the subject a bit more if we manage not to derail the thread again.


What character first used the oh so grating Princess/Noblewoman's laugh?
aka the OHHHHHHH-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-hoooo!!! laugh

I'm thinking it had to be Ranma's Kodachi Kuno.

And does anyone know where it came from? Was there a real world example or did it just become popular after Saeko Shimazu (or someone else if I'm wrong) originated it?

 

[Charred Knight]

They all love Tenchi in the OVA, it's just that Ayeka and Ryoko are the most vocal about it.

I also see no difference between Lum shocking Ataru, and Akane hitting Ranma into the sky.

 

[Wu Ming]

Let's expand this a little shall we since this is the thread of "firsts":

1.) The First Yandere?

2.) The First Reverse Harem?

3.) The First School/Slice of Life series that didn't involve mystic powers, giant robots, etc?

4.) The First Rivalry?: Ie the Show whose cornerstone was the rivalry between the protagonist and antagonist (I'm guessing Gundam). Rivalry defined not as simple opposition but more like "We understand each other, and maybe in another life we would have been friends..."

:cue dramatic score:

or something to that effect.

5.) The First Modern Magical Girl anime?

 

[Wu Ming]

The original Tenchi Muyo OVAs certainly deserve the most credit for founding what we now call harem series, although the Oh My Goddess!! OVAs which came out at about the same time also arguably contributed. (Granted, there was only one true love relationship involved, but it was a case of a nice guy cohabitating with multiple ladies and picking up additional outside love interests from time to time.)

Hmmm, I'm thinking John Opplinger once addressed either or both of these issues. I'll check in his archive later in the day and see if I can find any of his Ask John pieces about this.

Share with us what you find Key!

As for Ah My Goddess!!, i'm reluctant to classify that as harem anime. The points you make are good, but Keiichi seems a little more decisive (not too much more :wink: ) than say Tenchi about having a relationship.

I will say this though, with Urd and Skuld around the series seems to be the first case of Anime In-Laws - secondary characters related to one of the primary characters whose goal is to push/pull the relationship in a non-serious manner/for comedic effect only.

 

[kiddtic]

Hey I have one. Who was the first character to speak like a cat. You undersnyan what i m'nyan?

 

[dtm42]

The First?: A story of Anime Archtypes

Yes yes, we get it, everyone with tastes differing from yours is an idiot :roll: :roll:

I'm glad you at least seem to understand that.

Anyway, besides the fact that it has absolutely no redeeming value (not even for fanservice), many of those who initially liked Love Hina have since changed their opinions. I notice you haven't, but one negative does not disprove a generalisation. The franchises of Slayers and Tenchi Muyo were also popular back in the day, and yet nowadays what you hear is former fans saying how they don't like it anymore. And I think to myself, "It took you this long to realise? For shame."

 

[Cosplaybunny]

The Rei Ayanami type... does it have another name?

Very capable, emotionally distant, unreadable, but seemingly has feelings for hero. TV Tropes calls her anExtreme Doormat, although that doesn't fully explain the character type.

Since NGE it has been has a staple personality type when you have a host or harem of girls, especially ones where action is at least a subplot....9 out of 10 times, has short blue hair.

Is there a precursor to Rei?

I've heard of Rei being placed into the Moe archetype. I can see her being a sort of prototype to the modern moe character.

Spoiler

At the beginning of the series Shinji seems to want to protect her, and as the series progresses her personality becomes softer and more moe-ish.

She's sort of reminds me of Hotaru from Sailor Moon.