From pvallado@waynesworld.ucsd.eduMon Mar 4 08:52:11 1996 Date: Sun, 3 Mar 1996 17:42:04 -0800 (PST) From: Paolo Valladolid To: Michael C Voorhis Cc: kor@edmonds.home.cs.ubc.ca Subject: Re: [KOR] thelma and louise > eeee! Can someone mail me that `thelma and louise' message? > > Mike (deleting too quickly) > (mvoorhis@sidehack.gweep.net) > (mvoorhis@wpi.edu) Here's a reposting of Jee Lee's message: Yes, I noticed that too. In the anime, just about every eligable bachelor is either perverted, a potential rapist or a goofball. By eligable male, I mean those that could be potential mates for Madoka. Older, younger or married males seem to be OK guys. I always thought that it was because the writers realized that Kasuga could not have too much competition. Really, Madoka just about *has* to fall in love with him because she really doesn't have a better alternative. It's sad, I know, but that's the only explanation that makes any logical sense to me. :) If you think about it though, most of the females aren't exactly wonderful either. Sure, there are nice women but usually nnot potential love interests for Kyousuke. The other schoolgirls are generally loose scribbles of personalities who fade into the background. However, in general, feminists should pick KOR as their flagship animated program. :) Women are generally depicted in a more favorable light. They are stronger and smarter than most of the men who tend to be perverted, sexist, selfish, indecisive, or just plain dimwitted. Even Kyousuke's father, although a nice man with a strong heart, is protrayed as kinda wimpy (especially due to his lack of ESP). Maybe, Madoka and Hikaru should run off in "Thelma & Louise" manner on a cross-Japan road trip to escape the control of the patriarchal male dominated fascist Japanese society. Hmmm, I can see it now. Kyousuke, after 15 years of marriage, turns into a sake-swilling salaryman who spends more time at the pachinko parlor or at the love hotels with prostitutes. Madoka is his bored housewife who is tired of being his mommy and jumps at the chance for a vacation with her old schoolmate Hikaru, who has become a minor starlet with parts in B-movies and a role in the latest Godzilla flick. They go to a karaoke bar only to be accosted by a drunken Yusaku who tries to rekindle his passion for his fair Hikaru. Madoka recalls her martial arts skills, seriously wounding Yusaku with the microphone. The two steal a cherry red Kawasaki Ninja and flee the district as Yusaku's Yakuza brothers scream for revenge. Yes, I can see it now. The two women become symbols of womanhood freeing themselves from their male oppressors. Along their journey through the darkest heart of Japan, they humiliate representatives of the patriarchy and come to realize that no man can be their partner in life. In fact, they realize that Kyousuke was the true barrier between their ultimate friendship and dedicate themselves to be partners forever. :) Or maybe not. JHLee