Tootsie roll pop logic: Characters with a "hard outer shell"

[Lego]

Much like the Tootsie Roll pop commercial, where the boy asks the owl "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootise Roll pop?", some anime characters have "hard outer shells". The kind that doesn't let on when they like someone, seem out of touch or are bitchy to most people, or think they're better in general.

I usually like these types of characters, because at sometime during the show, they'll "crack" and you'll see a softer side of the character or etc. So I was thinking about characters that are like this.

Haruka - Mai Hime(Oh man is she loud and bossy most of the time, but with Yukino, she is a normal person)

Kaname Chidori - Full Metal Panic(Again, another loud and take charge character. But at moments with her friends or Sousuke, she lightens up.)

Anita King - R.O.D TV(While a little young, her personality falls under the topic.)

I could only think of a couple off the top of my head, but there are many more out their.

[Captain Impulse]

Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell (any version). Tough cookie on the outside; slick and professional...but she has her softer moments, usually with Batou or on cases where the victims are defenseless.

Same goes with Misato Katsuragi from Evangelion, although she lets her "chewy center" show more than others, I'd imagine.

Guts/Gatsu, from Berserk. Only really shows his soft side around Griffith or Casca.

[Lego]

[ QUOTE ]
Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell (any version). Tough cookie on the outside; slick and professional...but she has her softer moments, usually with Batou or on cases where the victims are defenseless.

[/ QUOTE ]

Knew I forgot the major. She does have some great "softer" moments in Stand Alone Complex.

[Captain Impulse]

Forgetting the Major is almost a crime. /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif

[B-Rad Lascelle]

Some of my favorites in this category.


Yuriko Star, The Irresponsible Captain Tylor
Ryoko Subaru, Martian Successor Nadesico
Yukino Miyazawa, Kare Kano (hell, the entire premise in the beginning is about people letting their "shells" down and being true to themselves)

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Captain Impulse said:
Guts/Gatsu, from Berserk. Only really shows his soft side around Griffith or Casca.

[/ QUOTE ]
You could say the same thing about Casca only showing her soft side around Guts. There's a nice symmetry going there.

[Captain Impulse]

True to that. BTW, Happy Birthday AND Merry Christmas to you, B-Rad!

[Hunter Sopko]

People mention Misato but not Asuka? Heh.

I'll second the Ryoko Subaru love too. <3

Hmm... Maho Minami from Beck fits this. Same with Izumi from Princess Nine. Priss and to some extent Linna from Bubblegum Crisis (Linna can be pretty tough. She did run after Priss in a rage in 2040). I can't tell if Noa Izumi from Patlabor counts, but she sure can put away her alcohol.

Oh! And Ryuunosuke from Urusei Yatsura.

[Shsway]

Ayukawa Madoka from Kimagure Orange Road. What a girl! /images/graemlins/blush000.gif

[The Pirate Queen]

[ QUOTE ]
Shsway said:
Ayukawa Madoka from Kimagure Orange Road. What a girl! /images/graemlins/blush000.gif

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She's the first one I thought of, too - I'm glad I didn't have to be the first to mention her!

[EmperorBrandon]

<span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>Fakir</span> from Princess Tutu counts, I'd say. /images/graemlins/happy.gif

[Mr. Nail Bat]

Claire Rondo from Planetes. As of volume 4, her shell is rapidly dissolving.

[Kellory]

[ QUOTE ]
Geoduck said:
Claire Rondo from Planetes. As of volume 4, her shell is rapidly dissolving.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unfortunatly, like bars, shells can contain as well as protect.

[vtr9kvictor]

Well he's not an anime character but I defy ANYONE to say that Gammera does not fit this description.

"Gammera is really neat,
He is full of turtle meat,
We all love you Gammera!"

[Chloe]

Lina Inverse is like this a lot, since she only rarely shows a softer side around Gourry, and she goes all out to deny it otherwise.

Faye Valentine is like that a lot too, puts up a tough front but can go all to pieces when things don't work out for her.

Mirrielle from Noir fits the bill too, but that might just be a professional facade, you don't get to see her much in "normal" situations.

[excel7769]

[ QUOTE ]
vtr9kvictor said:
Well he's not an anime character but I defy ANYONE to say that Gammera does not fit this description.

[/ QUOTE ]

No argument here, that's funny /images/graemlins/tongue.gif. But if You are speaking of a "personality" shell then I'm going with Kiyoko from Gilgamesh Tough cause she's gotta be, for her bro.

[The Pirate Queen]

[ QUOTE ]
excel7769 said:
But if You are speaking of a "personality" shell then I'm going with Kiyoko from Gilgamesh Tough cause she's gotta be, for her bro.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pfft - the Countess has that "hard and brittle" shell going on, so much better than Kiyoko!

[excel7769]

[ QUOTE ]
Dani said:
Pfft - the Countess has that "hard and brittle" shell going on, so much better than Kiyoko!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah she's got that going on as well, Kiyoko was the first that came to my mind though. You make a good point.

[Aiia]

Kamui in X-TV seems like the king of Tootsie roll pop-logic.

[Dagger]

Layla Hamilton from Kaleido Star is probably my favorite example of this. At first she's very harsh to and dismissive of Sora, and it almost seems as if she'll be the main villain or something. But her coldly elegant facade slips from time to time, and it's those moments that make her so human and lovely as a character.

[ayareiko]

Natsuki Kuga and Nina Wong from Mai-HiME and Mai-ZHiME respectively.

[Shsway]

&lt;---- How about Kanuka Clancy, from Patlabor TV? The more I watch the show, the more she amuses me (and the better I like her, and her approach to things).

[indigo0086]

Is hentai out of the question, because it generally takes quite a few licks to get to the center of those girls.