When I wrote my first notes for this post it was going to be Mihoshi from Tenchi Muyo. A bimbo too far she was simply unnecessary (at least past her purpose as a plot device for about 5 s in one episode).
And yet she seemed to persist in almost every incarnation of the franchise. I simply cannot understand this. Why must Mihoshi be continually inflicted upon us? But in the end I decided to go for another character.
Hiyama Hikaru from Kimagure Orange Road.
When I reviewed the OAVs and first movie some time ago I noted how much better the movie was compared to the OAVs.
Fundamentally this is because Hikaru does get slapped and grows up as a result. You really see the effect in the next movie where suddenly she has become an interesting, and much more mature, character.
This is a character that needed the slap, and makes for good film when it comes.
I never got into KOR so from the early eps it was Ayukawa that needed slapping.
Mihoshi needs more than a slap to fix what's wrong with her. Put a hole in her head to let in something other than total vacuum.
My candidate these days is Sasuke from Naruto. TOTAL LOSER.
As Steveg once observed the 40 episodes of KOR TV would have made a great 13-18 episode series.
That's one solution for Mihoshi, I'd prefer that she just be gone.
Shortening the series to that might well have got me past the stage of not caring.
Oh, I agree. The "purpose" that she served in the one OAV (namely, freeing Washuu) could have been achieved in any number of other, less annoying, ways. Or she could have been what I originally thought she was going to be from previews: Kei and Yuri in one person. Competent, intelligent, can PLAY the idiot when it suits her, but disliked because Mr. Collateral Damage is her constant companion.
Sasuke is like Anakin Skywalker, only with less excuse and more angst-boy wankery to "justify" his backstabbing and betrayal of friends.
Oh yes, you could have set it up that freeing her also bounced whoever freed her back to the other side (some form of energy release) and then made Tenchi do it.
Re Sasuke: "Oh Dear" about sums that up I think.