Well now, I am at the halfway point in watching the anime version of Cardcaptor Sakura. I also saw the first movie . . . which disappointed me. The only thing significant was Sakura captured the ARROW card, nothing else. That should've been a normal epsiode, not a freakin' movie!
But then I saw episode 36, complete with new theme songs, and everything is good again. However, there's something I've noticed about one of the characters. I know of a phrase to describe said character, a phrase that raises a red flag, but don't think bad thoughts.
I have reason to believe Tomoyo is a Mary Sue.
I'm not implying she's a poorly written character. Quite the contrary; she's my third-favorite behind only Sakura and Kero-chan. However, Tomoyo just happens to possess many of the traits found in Mary Sues, yet is still . . . a good character, a good Mary Sue. I know that sounds ironic, but hear me out.
First, I will prove she is a Mary Sue. Well, have you noticed her? She seems to possess no negative qualities, possessing only positive qualities. Look at this quote I got from wikipedia, "Tomoyo is very mature for her age. One of her major character traits is her selflessness towards Sakura. Tomoyo is kind, caring, highly intelligent, beautiful, meticulous, and very melodic (she has a superb singing voice and often has solos in choir recitals)." Not to mention she's rich, and an excellent tailor of girly-girl costumes. Mary Sues are wish-fulfillment in character form. I mean, if you're a young girl, wouldn't you just love to have a friend who was as darling as Sakura-chan? Well, Tomoyo does.
However, Tomoyo is not a bad Mary Sue. Another trait Mary Sues tend to have is they are not the main character. Tomoyo fits this; her name's not in the title, and you don't always see her. However, bad Mary Sues are supposed to not be the main character, yet somehow, everything needlessly revolves around them, to the point where everything else is ignored. Tomoyo is not like this. It is Sakura's adventure through and through. Tomoyo is just a spectator, as well as helper.
Yes, it's true. There is a such thing as good Mary Sues. And there's more to Tomoyo-chan other than, "LOL! Voyeurisitc lesbian! LOL!" Her affection for Sakura is heartfelt and inspiring, and that's why I like her.
And speaking of anime, I did say that I don't like Misa from Death Note because she also a Mary Sue, but thankfully, the entire show doesn't revolve around her. I will say this; I have seen movies and tv shows (not to mention countless fanfics) that were completely ruined because of a Mary Sue. Oh, trust me, Misa Misa is only child's play when it comes to bad Mary Sues. I have seen far, FAR worse, but I will save that rant for another day.
For now, I have more CCS to watch. RELEASE!
