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So! In Order To Keep Myself From Losing My Goddamn Mind In The Aftermath Of That G-Witch Episode (how
So! In order to keep myself from losing my goddamn mind in the aftermath of that G-Witch episode (how are we supposed to wait two weeks for the next episode I swear to fuck), I want to take a second and focus on something this show has done exceptionally well, but that I haven’t really seen talked about at all. Namely, the fact that Suletta is one of the best examples of an overpowered protagonist I’ve ever seen.
And yes, she is canonically overpowered. As long as she has Aerial by her side, she can curb-stomp pretty much every opponent without breaking a sweat. Time and again, she goes up against impossible odds and wipes the floor with them The best duelist at school? Chump. Facing multiple opponents alone and outnumbered? Child’s play. And honestly, I was starting to get annoyed by it around the end of the first season. How are we supposed to believe Suletta’s ever going to be in danger if she’s so ludicrously stronger than everyone else?
And then The Slap happened, and everything turns upside-down.
See, what makes season 1′s cliffhanger ending so goddamn powerful isn’t just the sight of our cheerful bumbling protagonist liquifying a living person into red paste in front of her horrified fiance. It’s not just the realization of how deep Prospera’s manipulation has twisted Suletta’s sense of identity. No, the real secret behind The Slap’s brilliance is that it retroactively makes every single moment of Overpowered Suletta fucking terrifying. Suddenly, we realize that her overwhelming strength in battle is a direct result of Prospera’s influence, raising her to be the perfect pawn in her little scheme. The reason she’s able to knock the socks off every single opponent she faces isn’t just Latent Protag Syndrome; it’s because her mother crafted her into a relentless warrior with the strength to destroy any obstacle in the path to her revenge. Suletta’s strength in battle isn’t just overwhelming; it’s dangerous, to herself and everyone around her. And the second she has to unleash that strength in a situation more serious than a no-casualties school sporting match, it becomes instantly, horrifyingly clear that she is in no way ready to grapple with the great responsibility that comes with such great power.
In other words, what first seemed like just a case of another anime protagonist winning every fight because reasons turns on its head and makes that overpowered nature a source of fear, both for the audience and for Miorine. So instead of ending up a boring tension-killer where we’re never afraid for Suletta’s safety, the fact that she’s capable of such force becomes the most critical source of tension and conflict driving her and Miorine’s story in the second season. Suletta being so overpowered is an explicit character flaw, at least as long as Prospera’s claws are in her. Because just because she can punch away any physical threat in her path doesn’t mean she’s not vulnerable in countless other areas. She may be the strongest in a fight, but she has nowhere near the strength of character to deal with the political schemes and emotional burdens that come about as a result of that strength. All that skill on the battlefield doesn’t mean shit when you can’t see how that skill is being manipulated for dark ends, or causing you to take on stress and trauma you have no healthy way of coping with. Suletta can smash her way to victory in any fight, and yet she’s the most vulnerable, least protected person in the entire cast, in no small part thanks to the forces that made her so strong in the first place.
There’s a reason characters like Saitama from One Punch Man and Mob from Mob Psycho 100 are so beloved, despite being so overpowered. ONE knows that in order to make an overpowered character interesting, you need to give them struggles beyond the scope of their powers to fix. Saitama can punch a mountain in half, but he can’t punch his way out of existential ennui; that’s just as much of a struggle for him as any normal person. Mob’s psychic powers can’t solve his emotional turmoil or provide him the perfect path toward maturity; he has to figure that out himself. They are overwhelmingly strong in fights, but the primary conflict of their stories has very little to do with those fights and everything to do with their growth as people. They’re stories about how even being the strongest person alive doesn’t protect you from the challenges of life that everyone on this planet faces, and their journeys to self-actualization are enormously compelling as a result. No one remembers the overpowered exploits of Isekai Harem Protagonist du jour; everyone remembers watching Saitama and Mob slowly find their way forward in life, one simple step at a time.
Suletta, in my eyes, is very much in the same vein. Like Saitama and Mob and all the best overpowered protagonists, her writing understands that being incredibly skilled in one area doesn’t mean you can’t be challenged in others- and in Mob’s case especially, how that incredible skill can actually be the biggest obstacle for the challenge you actually need to overcome. Suletta’s skill in battle is made compelling by her lack of that same skill in other areas, and the ultimate conflict of Gundam Witch is a conflict she cannot punch her way out of. If she’s going to survive this chaos and live happily every after with Miorine, she will need to struggle to overcome her years of conditioning and emotional uncertainty. She will need to struggle just as Mob struggled, just as Saitama struggled, not just to learn the skills she hasn’t developed yet, but to push back against the influence that resulted in her being so freakishly strong in the first place. Suletta is an overpowered protagonist who’s overpowered nature is, itself, the greatest challenge she will have to overcome in order to truly save herself and the people she loves. And I think that’s really damn neat.
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More Posts from Jeskler
Those are all fantastic points that I can’t believe I forgot, in my haste to lament and rage against the flanderization and jedigeneralification of Rex, I flanderized and jedigeneralized Cody in the process.
Cody is the absolutely unhinged madman who needs Obiwan to keep him on a leash.
Anakin is the absolutely unhinged madman who needs Rex to keep him on a leash.
Where tf did people get the idea Rex is some mini-anakin and some insane hyperactive madman compared to the rest of the clones.
The man is almost the walking talking definition of the phrase “by the books”, he’s as professional as they come, he’s SO god damn professional and proper, that merely calling Anakin by his first name was enough to let Anakin know something was off cause he knew Rex ONLY ever calls him General Skywalker unless shit has officially Hit The Fan™
Yeah sure, he’s a creative and aggressive tactician and more than willing to use unconventional strategies to secure victory, but he only does that cause he’s so by the books he has the whole god damn book memorized and knows how to properly be creative with it.
And no, just cause he’s more wild than Cody is not justification, Cody is the kind of guy to consider doing a mountain of paperwork to be an exciting activity.
Yeah, absolutely, just spitballing ideas
Surgamy comic idea
First few panels is Surge talking to Kit, explaining her newest plan to fuck with Sonic, hooking up with Amy and turning her against Sonic.
Then the next panel is a close up on her head with her saying how it’s perfect and it’ll ruin Sonic
There’s an undetermined time jump with Surge in the exact same position, but this time with her hair groomed back and in a tux at her and Amy’s wedding.
They kiss, everyone celebrates, and a few of the heroes walk up to Surge and Amy and begin congratulating about their wedding and Sonic giving her a handshake and a pat on the back.
It’s then that Surge has a sudden face of realization, the realization that instead of her ruining Amy, Amy fixed her and she didn’t even realize it.
Idk if this is actually canon or not, but Miranada seems like the kind of person to have a panic attack over any mistake, no matter how big or small.
When you first meet her she makes it very clear how much is demanded of her cause of how perfect she is, I can't imagine failing would illicit a very positive response.
still busy with my project but i did colour this finally
Blaze is definitely the person who pays for everything for everyone.
Going out to dinner? Blaze pays.
Going shopping? Blaze pays.
Grabbing lunch? Blaze pays.
Ordering something online? Blaze pays.
Grabbing some snacks from a gas station? You bet Blaze pays.
It’s gotten to the point where Blaze is just giving the others their own cards connected to her account, Blaze doesn’t mind, but it’d a bit annoying to have to constantly pull out her wallet every single time.