[KatG]

Vote for your favorite character in the Tales of Tonogato series. You can vote for more than one character at a time. If you like, explain why that character is your favorite in the stories. If you select the Other choice in the poll, put up a post for who you'd pick instead of the ones listed.

[Radthorne]

I'd vote, but I'm a little biased... ;)

[Hereford Eye]

Me, too, I'm biased because Mikasama had the most difficult task balancing personal and public roles to get the job done. In the immortal words of the old Platoon Sergeant writing an efficiency report on the Squad Leader: "She done good!" The First Sergeant endorsed the report with: "yea, she did!" and the redoubtable Sergeant Major reviewed the report with "I b'lieve it!"
The Army promoted the Squad Leader despite the report suspecting there was something of substance attempting to be said. Mikasama done good!

[Radthorne]

One of the things I find most interesting about people's feedback from the books is their character preferences; one person will appreciate Mikasama, as HE does; others will never quite take to her, and will prefer someone else, whether it be another of the main characters or one of the supporting cast. Verbally I've heard votes from time to time for each of the characters listed in KatG's poll. It highlights, in a pretty clear way, people's individual approach to a book and what they each walk away with from it.

It also demonstrates how an author can never predict exactly what effect his words are going to have. Of course one would like all of the characters to be liked or at least appreciated, but some folks develop both strong preferences and sometimes some strong dislikes! Whether this is simply because the character reminds them of bad things, or because they don't care for how he or she is written :eek: , it means that the narrative that each reader perceives is not necessarily the same one that the author envisioned.

[KatG]

Right, although Mikasama does very brave things in the end, she drove me crazy, and I couldn't like her as much as other characters. Her adolescent initial romantic obsession with Nakama, for instance, was very grating for me. I can't help but think that she had the worst princess training ever. But her development from spoiled brat to high warrior priestess was well done.

I also thought Itachi was a very interesting villain. He was not a stock foe at all. He had layers. Like an onion. I was kind of sad when he got possessed by the evil spirit, because it took away much of his mojo for me, even though the evil spirit is a great deal of fun.

But it's true that I like most the wise-ass wise characters like Ryori, Toshi-hito, Komori and Nusumi. And the birds. Nothing like arguing birds.

I also couldn't manage to put up the names of several characters from Sands of Sabakushi like Hanasu, Ja'yan, Ka'watta, etc., as there's not enough room for them all. Ka'watta, like Ryori, is a favorite of mine. Maybe we need two polls. :)

[Radthorne]

Right, although Mikasama does very brave things in the end, she drove me crazy, and I couldn't like her as much as other characters. Her adolescent initial romantic obsession with Nakama, for instance, was very grating for me. I can't help but think that she had the worst princess training ever. But her development from spoiled brat to high warrior priestess was well done.
That was really the whole point, of course. I've read so many books where the person undergoing "change" is actually already everything they need to be, but just doesn't realize it. I wanted to have a character who really had to overcome some baggage in order to become what she needed to be.

[Hereford Eye]

See? See? If the Radical Thorn voted, Mikasama would be winning by a 2 to 1 majority.

Okay, maybe he was just refuting one of Katherine the Great's assertions but interpretation is every forumite's natural born right and I chose to exercise my right and my left as well. I don't do so good with my center; must be a Bhuddist thing. :p

[KatG]

The Radical Thorn loves all his characters and so would vote for all of them and there would be two votes for both Ryori and Mikasama, so we would still be tied. :)

I'm fully aware though of the bias of my prejudices. I like characters best with some humor to them. I like the schemers. I tend to lose patience with characters who do stupid things. But then again, my favorite Harry Potter character is Hagrid, so obviously I'm not consistent.