Divinely Ethereal wrote:
I still think she's a moron. Case in point: She didn't take down a criminal because a fortune cookie told her Kudo wouldn't like it! That was legit. retarded, and awfully embarrassing to watch for a long-term viewer like myself.
The superstition is one of her weak points. I don't mind it much on her, because let's face it: She's great at housework, in karate, kind, just, responsible, intelligent (I know some disagree at this point, but every character in DC is fairly intelligent. Even Chiba or Megure (for example) who I would place pretty deep down in an intelligence-toplist (of the DC characters) would be above-average in comparison with real life.), courageous and so on.
She let herself be confused about her actions that one time. It is not like she didn't learn her lesson afterwards either.
Unfortunately, we know from the little side story to Movie 14 that Kazuha wants a (more specifically Heiji's) BABY, which doesn't really help the argument that these seventeen-year-old girls have their life priorities straight, at least where Gosho and his anime staff are standing.
First, it is non-canon. Not that I mind, because even non-canon is usually close to the characters normal behavior.
But she only wanted a baby (never specifying how or from whom) because she was baby-sitting one a few moments before. And I guessed she liked that. To me it sounded more like she wanted her parents to have a baby she could look after occasionally. Not build her future life around one (yet).
MOST unfortunately, this fragile hope of ours doesn't hold true in light of OVA 9, where Ran would rather remain a pathetic spinster than move on with someone who is NOT Shinichi. Of course, it's all in Kudo's head( and even in his own head he wouldn't let her go, the despicable bastard), but Gosho and his staff are even more despicable if they believe Ran becoming Miss Havisham is not only acceptable but the proper way to go in an alternate what-if-he-doesn't-come-back scenario.
Again, non-canon. But much worse: It is a dream Conan is having in his current state.
He IS worried that Ran might choose someone else. He is worried what would happen if he can't become Shinichi again but never gave up trying to so. It didn't even cross his mind that HE might have another girlfriend in 10 years as well...
Also, this is the worst of the 3 scenarios regarding his shrinking. Both him getting an antidote and him giving up being Shinichi (and becoming Conan instead) instead of staying trapped between both identities for 10 years would resolve the whole situation quicker.
I'm not sure if the whole gender stereotyping/sexism thing in DC is a Gosho&co thing, or a Japanese culture thing (and you're welcome to speculate with me) but things that I've noticed that have offended my sensibilities/sent wrong messages:
-If you're a serious/no-nonsense, responsible ,extremely intelligent/studious, career-driven girl like Eri, you'll end up with a loser like Kogoro while if you're a frivolus, playful, bat-your-lashes type like Yukiko/Sonoko, or a pretty, naive simple-minded gal like Ran/Kazuha/Aoko/Akemi you'll end up with the 'cool' guys (Kudo Sr and Jr, Hattori, Kaito, Makoto and Akai). Trope *slightly* subverted by Satou/Takagi, but not really, because Takagi still isn't exactly the "cool" guy/ most eligible bachelor type, and at least him and Satou are co-workers for a change.
Where would Vermouth and Jodie fit in in your opinion? Kobayashi-sensei? Yumi?
Kogoro isn't exactly a looser, he still has his strong sides. And Akemi didn't have much luck with her choice either, especially considering that Akai was using her to get closer to the BO.
And again: the teenage-girls are also quite intelligent. Aoko for sure, at least if we believe that she can solve math why chasing Kaito with a mob. But even for Sonoko we never heard that she had any problems in school so she seems to do okay. And she can be quite sharp occasionally as well.
-Conan's sexism when it comes to Haibara:
a) Conan in one episode tells her : "Oh, so I guess you CAN say girly things after all".
b)Conan going "Haibara?!Na!" to his mum. He figures Haibara doesn't like him because she has no overwhelming urge to talk about her feelings, or make goo-goo eyes at him, or cry, or say his name in an annoying breathy way; he seems to operate under the misconception that these are the symptoms that would be displayed by a "proper" girl with a crush on his person.
c)Conan doesn't do anything to actively discourage Ayumi's crush on him, yet when Mitsuhiko shows interest in Haibara, he jumps in to tell him not to go for it because "she is too difficult". It's not about the age difference; it's because Kudo is not comfortable with the kind of 'female' Haibara represents, and expects the world's entire male population to agree with his sentiment. Come to think of it, he displays discomfort with any female who appears to be too independent-minded and/or has a big personality like Eri and his own mother. He would probably put the latter two in the "too difficult" box as well.
a) If that one "fanservice" scene in the onsen showed us anything it is that he does not think of Haibara as a girl. Or Ayumi for that matter. Not sure if that counts as sexism to you, but to me it simply means lack of interest. To him Ayumi is a friend and Haibara someone in a similar situation as him. Nothing more, nothing less.
b) Or because he figured she doesn't like him because... she doesn't like him. He should know his mom best and knows that he should not take everything she tries to tease him with seriously. Rather than not being able to understand her it is much more likely that he is able to do so.
c) About Mitsuhiko: Unfortunately he will have a difficult time with her. (Which is one of the reasons that makes this pairing so great.
) He is probably one of the best persons to understand this, since he is in the same situation with Ayumi.
About Ayumi: Again, he doesn't consider her as a girl. (Yet.) Maybe that is why he doesn't discourage her. Or maybe he doesn't want to hurt her feelings and hopes it will pass by naturally. (Or maybe he is keeping his options open in case there is no antidote.)
Independent Women: Choosing his mother or his friend-since-they-were-babies mother as a reference does not work. Of course he is discomfortable in their presence.
But he seemed to do fine with Satô or Jodie who also fit these role.
You're right about Sherlock, of course. He was not meant to be an idealistic, likeable type. Sometimes, I wonder if Gosho has even read the same source material I did. My innerHolmes fan rebelled at Kudo self-righteously declaring to Ray Curtis that "drugs and murder are foul and without excuse", because that is not something canon!Holmes would have been able to claim in good conscience, since, as you said, he was into recreative drug use. I guess that's why my favourite anime detective is "L", not Kudo. His mild autism and moral relativity is much more characteristic of genius detective types than Kudo's high school vapidness.
And I disliked L. A guy who calls himself a detective but kidnaps a suspect, keeps her confined hoping she confesses? Playing with the life of others to solve his case? He might be a genius detective but I can't stand his morals. If you want to defend the law, act according to the law. Not that Light was any better though, but at least he was aware that he was breaking laws.
No, I prefer detective like Shinichi/Conan - a bit too idealistic and righteous, but at least they are trying to live to their own ideal.
Ending Note: I'm a huge BBC!Sherlock fan. I'd like to imagine that in a cross-over with DC, he'd punch Kudo, insult Ran and adopt Haibara
Must be very different from the Holmes I know that would not meddle with the issues of others if it didn't concern a case.
