Because I'm totally trying to crystalize this.

[dagas_isa]

In honor of the new icon, and because I need to find someway, for myself at least, to crystallize why my adoration for Nao is so strong, when the 'type' she appears as should be the kind of character who bores me.

1. She's not fanservicey. I personally, think she's adorable, but there is very little to no 'male gaze' at all in this manga applied to her, even after her 'upgrade' in the chest area.
2. She's not a token. One of the only female characters, but completely pivotal to how all of this is playing out.
3. She's not 'Akiyama's girlfriend.' Yes, I ship it like burning, but as an independent person, she holds her ground to him.
4. She actually influences (and is influenced) by Akiyama in a meaningful way. They're both getting character development because of the other.
5. She's not only about her purity. This is why Manga!Nao outshines Drama!Nao anyway. Her intentions are pure, but that's not why she kicks ass.
6. She's naive, not stupid. Not a genius by any means, but not at all stupid, and the distinction is much appreciated.
7. She's knows who she is, and follows through on it. Her introduction page is basically, "Yeah, people think I'm dumb for being like this, but I don't mind."
8. She's not spineless. She didn't just suddenly 'grow a spine' in later, awesome chapters, she had it from the moment she decided that asking a con-artist to help her was better than staying at home crying over her loss.
9. She's not passive. By and large she does not just sit back and let Akiyama solve all her problems for her, she's always has to have something to do, or she gets nervous. And this is good, because sitting back and letting things happen is probably the worst course of action.
10. She actually tries to solve things on her own, and doesn't always screw up. The thing at the bowling alley, not so good. The thing with the teddy bear, surprisingly effective. The thing with the blinking, so effective Akiyama gets angry because he only found out after he asked her about it.
11. Speaking of that last example: she's actively looking to become more independent/useful.
12. She learns what Akiyama teaches her, but then applies it in ways that he's probably not 100% comfortable with her doing.
13. Oh, and in same incidence, she understands why he's angry, but doesn't apologize for it. Just explains her reasons for a) doing it, and b) why she knew it would work.
14. Her relationships with the other characters matter as much as, or more than, Akiyama's relationships to the same characters. Nao and Fukunaga, tons of screen time alone together. If one counts Fukunaga as a woman (which I do), Liar Game could pass the rest of the Bedchel test without a problem (although, still lacking female characters). Nao ends up being as important a 'rival' to Yokoya as Akiyama.
15. She's also the most effective person in actually getting people to cooperate through means other than self-interest/coercion.
16. She argues her ideals not just from the standpoint of them being kind and just and right, but from the fact that they work. This page still sends me grinning.
17. She's the one breaking out of the framework imposed on all the players.
18. All of this, and she's not really trying to become like anyone else. She doesn't need to be the lightweight Akiyama, Yokoya, or Fukunaga, she's got her own abilities.
19. And all within the type of feminine set of looks, personality, and behavior that typically gets dismissed as stereotyped and weak.
20. She appears in this active, interesting role, despite being overwhelmingly surrounded by male players.

And all of this, combined with her demeanor, is enough to well, get me smiling when I think about her. So, while Akiyama is a character dear to my heart, she's the one I adore, and the one I basically obsess over this manga for.

Yeah...I did watch some of the drama season 2. It still irritates me that Drama!Nao replaces cleverness with purity.

Comments

[vigor-di-vita.livejournal.com]

I need to catch up on Liar Game- the last chapter I read was something in the 70s (I seem to recall they were in the middle of a game of roulette). I enjoyed it, I just couldn't follow it.

[dagas-isa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the scanlations are up to 99 right now.