#but I find norm's arc so interesting and fascinating that i feel like pairing an OC with him would be fun!

[priceseyes]

okay, y'all! question: how'd you guys feel if I made a female oc for norm maclean???....IM JUST CURIOUS.

[phantom-le6]

Episode Reviews - Star Trek The Next Generation Season 1 (4 of 6)

Ok, loyal readers, one last round of reviews for season 1 of Star Trek TNG while we’re still in January, and then the rest can be left to next month.  Without further ado, here’s my look at episodes 15 to 19 of that season…

Episode 15: 11001001

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Federation starship Enterprise arrives at Starbase 74 for a routine maintenance check. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Commander William Riker greet Starbase Commander Quinteros and two pairs of small humanoid aliens known as Bynars; the Bynars heavily rely on their computer technology and work in pairs for best efficiency. Much of the crew take shore leave while Picard, Riker and a skeleton crew remain aboard. Riker is intrigued by the Bynars' claimed upgrades to the holodeck and starts a program in a jazz bar. The program includes a woman named Minuet, by whom Riker is fascinated, both as a beautiful and charming woman, but also by the level of sophistication in her responses. Riker is soon enthralled by the program, and Picard later walks in on him kissing Minuet, and he too is amazed by the simulation.

 Meanwhile, a catastrophic containment failure is detected in the ship's warp core. Lt. Cmdr. Data and Lt. Geordi La Forge are unable to locate Picard or Riker and, assuming them to already be on the Starbase, order an emergency evacuation. They set the ship to leave the Starbase and warp to a safe location before it would explode. However, once they are clear of the dock, the failure disappears and the ship sets course for the Bynar system, the planet Bynaus orbiting Beta Magellan. Data, La Forge, and Quinteros realize that the Bynars are still aboard the ship, but there are currently no other working vessels to follow them. Back on the Enterprise, Riker and Picard leave the simulation to find the ship empty and at warp to the Bynar system, with the ship's controls locked to the bridge. Fearing that the Bynars have taken over the ship for nefarious purposes, they set the ship to self-destruct in 5 minutes and then take the bridge by intra-ship transporter beam and find the Bynars there unconscious.

 After cancelling the self-destruct, they find the Bynars have uploaded massive amounts of information to the Enterprise computers, but they are unable to decode it. Realizing that Minuet was purposely created by the Bynars to distract them, Picard and Riker ask the simulation about what is going on as the ship nears the orbit of Bynaus. Minuet explains that a star near the Bynar homeworld had gone supernova, and the EMP it emitted would knock out their computer systems, effectively killing the Bynars. They had used the Enterprise to upload their computer information for safekeeping and then planned to download it back to the Bynar computers after the threat of the EMP had passed. With Data's help, Picard and Riker successfully download the data, and the Bynars recover. They apologize for their actions, having feared that Starfleet would refuse to help, though Picard notes they only had to ask. As the Enterprise returns to Starbase 74, Riker returns to the holodeck to thank Minuet but finds that without the Bynar data, the simulation has regressed to the expected norm for the holodeck, and while Minuet still exists, she is not the same as before. Riker reports to Picard that Minuet is gone.

Review:

This episode could be one of the best of the first season of TNG, if it knew what to be.  First, we get the Bynars, who are an interesting concept along the lines of human-machine interface and the general concept of cyborg races, but that isn’t explored to any great degree.  Next, we get another advancement in holodeck characters in the form of Minuet, who displays an incredible degree of awareness and interactivity that would pave the way for audiences to buy into characters in later Trek like TNG’s sentient Moriarty programme, DS9’s Vic Fontaine and the Fair Haven townspeople on Voyager.

 However, the Bynar plot elements prevent us from exploring fully just how realistic Minuet was.  In essence, the two plots interrupt each other for a random starship heist that comes out of the proverbial blue.  It is interesting, however, to see Data reproaching himself for being busy with exploring the idea of creativity in his quarters when the ship gets into trouble.  It’s a remarkably human trait for Data to have at this stage in his character arc, and is a testament to Spiner’s ability to play the character so well that it doesn’t feel out of place.

 That said, Riker’s comment about ‘a blind man teaching an android how to paint’ being ‘worth a page or two in somebody’s book’ feels a little dismissive towards those who are differently abled. Given that Geordi can see in his own way, his visor being just a sci-fi metaphor for how the blind simply rely more on their other senses in real life, I see nothing remarkable about him being the one to teach Data about art.  Art is not about your senses or even your hands; it comes from the heart and mind, from who a person is, and their desire to express a feeling or idea.  People who are blind are no more or less capable of producing art than those who are sighted; they just have to pick a medium that works for them, same as any artist does.  Overall, I give this episode about 6 out of 10. 

Episode 16: Too Short A Season

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, brings aboard the elderly Admiral Mark Jameson and his wife Anne on request of Karnas, the Governor of Mordan IV. Karnas warns that a dissident terrorist group has taken a Federation Ambassador and his staff hostage, and demand to speak to a Federation negotiator. Jameson had negotiated a previous settlement on Mordan IV. As the ship travels to Mordan IV, Jameson becomes stronger and more able to move about on his own, and no longer shows signs of the incurable Iverson's Disease he was known to have before he was beamed aboard. Jameson admits to taking an array of drugs to reverse the aging process over the last two years, and only recently has taken an overdose of the drugs to prepare himself for the negotiations. Jameson begins to appear younger and full of energy, but has frequent pains as a result of the overdose. By the time they are nearing Mordan, Jameson appears as a young adult.

 As they approach the planet, Jameson begins communication with Karnas to learn more of the situation, but soon intuits that it is Karnas himself that has taken the Federation staff. Karnas reminds Jameson that his treachery during their last encounter on Mordan IV resulted in years of war. Against the advice of Picard, Jameson devises plans to rescue the hostages by transporting the away team to the tunnels beneath Karnas' mansion, where Jameson believes the hostages are being held. Picard privately confronts Jameson about Karnas' motives. Jameson reveals that in the past, Karnas captured a Federation starliner in revenge for the death of his father by another local tribe. Jameson negotiated for the passengers' release by giving Karnas what he demanded, a supply of Federation weapons. However, Jameson, in his interpretation of the Prime Directive, also supplied the warring tribes with the same weapons to keep all sides in the conflict on even terms. Jameson had thought this would only lead to a short-lived skirmish, and had not expected a war that would last over forty years. Jameson is now insistent on correcting his past mistake and thus took the reverse aging drug in order to be at his best.

 In orbit, the Enterprise crew and Jameson beam down into the tunnels beneath Karnas' manor, but find that their arrival was anticipated and face off against armed guards. Jameson collapses during the fight, and the crew beams back to the Enterprise. Jameson was not shot, but the reverse aging drug is destroying his body. Karnas demands to see Jameson or he will kill a hostage every 15 minutes. Picard opts to beam himself, Dr Crusher, Jameson, and eventually Jameson's wife Anne directly to Karnas' office. Karnas refuses to believe that the young man is Jameson, so Jameson reveals a scar on his wrist inflicted by Karnas years ago. Jameson dies shortly afterward in his wife's embrace. Karnas agrees to let the hostages go, and to allow Jameson to be buried on Mordan IV at Anne's request.

Review:

This is another example of TNG getting a decent premise for an episode and then bottling the execution, which as we’ve seen from all my reviews up to this point was par for the course on the first season.  The idea of a proverbial “fountain of youth” isn’t really explored in any depth or detail, making any argument the episode might be making against fighting the process of aging inaudible.  The episode would have been better served by chucking that story out and putting more time into the guest character of Admiral Jameson turning out to be a dirty Star Fleet officer.  The idea that a Star Fleet officer might really cross the line with the Prime Directive seems far more interesting, as it would have added a little more realism to Roddenbery’s ideal of the future that Trek is supposed to be.

Sadly, like many reviewers, I find that the episode is too focused on Jameson over both story ideas that the main cast are virtually demoted to extras, and this is made even worse by the guest actor somewhat over-playing the scenes where he’s an old man.  Overall, the episode ends up as just filler on the way to better episodes later on the series as a whole.  I’d give this one about 3 out of 10.

Episode 17: When The Bough Breaks

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise enters the Epsilon Mynos system, searching for the legendary world of Aldea. The planet de-cloaks, and reveals itself to the ship. The Aldeans beam down Commander William Riker, Counsellor Deanna Troi, and Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher to the planet. The Aldeans explain that they have been unable to bear children for many years and revealed themselves to the Enterprise in hopes they could trade their advanced technology for some of the Enterprise's children so that they can re-populate their world. Riker refuses and the crew are returned to the Enterprise. Simultaneously, seven children, including young Wesley Crusher, are taken down to the planet protected by a planetary energy shield that the crew of the Enterprise are unable to penetrate. While the Aldean elders attempt to integrate the children into their society, Wesley is shown the "Custodian", an ancient computer system that the Aldeans rely on but do not understand.

 As Captain Jean-Luc Picard attempts to negotiate with the Aldeans, they briefly allow Dr Crusher to reunite with her son on the planet. Wesley hints about the Custodian to her, while she secretly passes him a tricorder to scan the Aldeans. After Picard fails to get the Aldeans to agree to the children's return, they fire an energy weapon that sends the Enterprise three days away from Aldea at maximum warp. The Aldeans warn that they can send the Enterprise an impossibly far distance if they refuse to cooperate. During the return trip, Dr Crusher reviews the scanner results and finds the Aldeans are suffering from radiation poisoning, which has harmed their reproductive capabilities but can be reversed if the source is discovered. On arrival back at the planet, Picard orders the crew to try to find a way through the planet's shield while he restarts negotiations.

 Wesley, aware the Enterprise is in orbit, arranges for the children to passively resist. When the Aldeans request Picard's help to resolve the issue with the children, the crew finds a way to beam through the shield, allowing Commander Riker and Lt. Commander Data to sneak onto the planet. Data manages to disable the Custodian, disrupting the Aldean's transporter and planetary shield. Dr Crusher explains to the Aldeans that their shield has weakened the ozone layer of their planet, exposing the inhabitants to ultraviolet radiation that has left them unable to bear children. The radiation would likely have the same effects on the children from the Enterprise. Without the planetary shield, the ozone layer will naturally return, allowing the Aldeans to reproduce again. The Aldeans recognize the error of their ways and return the children to the Enterprise. They accept Starfleet's help to correct their ancient systems and recognize that they will have to forgo their invisibility to continue their society.

Review:

While some reviewers have apparently disliked this episode for its point about how humans at the time of the show, and still today, mess up the ozone layer being unsubtle, I disagree.  Unlike the people of the Star Trek universe, real world humanity can’t just pick up and warp off to another life-sustaining world if we muck our own planet up beyond even the possibility of repair.  As such, any form of fiction that’s trying to press this point should never be subtle.  It has to press it home, hard, and if needs be it needs to hammer an audience about the head with the point until it sticks, and let’s face it, the idea that ozone depletion could cause mass infertility and drive a society into becoming child snatchers is an interesting take on the idea.

The problem this episode suffers, however, is that the Aldeans so effectively keep the Enterprise crew on the back foot that they aren’t able to provide the level of visceral response a plot like this needs. Picard’s initial verbal outrage is about as good as we get in terms of any primal response from the Federation adults, and the children don’t display the level of resistance they should considering they’ve been effectively kidnapped.  Franchises like CSI or NCIS do better in this line, especially with regards to rescuing the children and punishing their abductors. 

I don’t care what the excuse is for the Aldean’s behaviour; Picard should have had Riker and Data take down the shield around Aldea, beamed all his people back to the Enterprise and fired a spread of photon torpedoes down from orbit as a punitive measure.  The idea that there’s no real reprisal for the Aldeans for being a bunch of heartless child abductors is what makes me really dislike this episode.  If letting such barbarism and criminality go unpunished is what the utopian future of Trek demands, then I think we need to stop just short of that future and never, ever realise it completely.

 All that said, we get one of the better performances so far from Wil Wheaton as Wesley, and Picard is decidedly improved in terms of how he behaves around children.  However, the lack of a phaser-heavy resolution to the child abduction aspect of the story means I can’t see this as a good episode at all. The few plus points of the episode only get it up to a score of 3 out of 10.

Episode 18: Home Soil

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

Diverted from exploring the Pleiades, the Enterprise arrives at the terraforming colony on Velara III, as the project is behind schedule. The director, Kurt Mandl, insists they are on time but Captain Jean-Luc Picard orders an away team to the surface after Counsellor Deanna Troi senses that Mandl is hiding something. After they arrive, one of Mandl's team is killed by a malfunctioning laser drill. During Lt. Commander Data's inspection of the tool, it begins to fire at him, but his quick android reflexes allow him to dodge the shot and render the drill harmless. He finds the programming of the laser was rewritten to fire upon the staff. Nearby, a crystal is discovered giving off irregular light and radiation patterns. The crystal is brought aboard the Enterprise to study and Picard orders a halt to the terraforming.

 Dr Beverly Crusher and Data discover the crystal may be alive. When the crystal attempts to interact with the Enterprise's computers, it is placed into a containment force field. The crystal begins to grow and gains access to the computer's translation program and attempts to communicate with the crew, treating the humans as an enemy, derisively calling them "ugly bags of mostly water". Picard discovers that Mandl and his team previously encountered the crystals; at the time, they knew about light patterns coming from them, but never considered the possibility that the crystals were alive. The terraformers used a drilling process responsible for removing the saline water layer from the water table of Velara III. This saline layer acted as a conductor, allowing many separate crystals to function as one life form. In a defensive response to the drilling, the crystal life form rewrote the laser's software and attacked the terraformers.

 Data hypothesizes that a single crystal is not intelligent, but when linked to other crystals, their intelligence is formidable. As the crystalline life form accesses higher-level functions of the Enterprise's computer, Picard and the crew try to transport it to the surface but the crystal blocks all attempts to transport it off the ship. Data and Lt. Geordi La Forge discover the presence of cadmium in the crystal and suspect it has photoelectric properties. They disable the lights in the medical lab and the crystal immediately begs for life. Picard peacefully negotiates to return the crystal life form to the surface of the planet where Starfleet will institute a quarantine, leaving the life form to live in peace.

Review:

This episode is a quite bland and largely forgettable enterprise (pardon the pun) by those who made this series.  Other reviewers have apparently noted a similarity to the original series of Star Trek, but as someone whose fandom of Trek is primarily related to the Picard-Sisko-Janeway era and only enjoys Kirk’s crew in their rebooted film format, I’m not about to go looking into that. Instead, I look at the episode itself, which falls flat about halfway through.

 The area where the episode falls apart is right around the time we start going into the idea of an inorganic crystalline structure being alive.  Up until that point, the way the terraformers acted, one of them dying and Data then almost going the same way all seemed to point to one thing; a possible murder-mystery, and with Data’s fascination with Sherlock Holmes and Picard’s affinity for Dixon Hill, we could have had a great mystery story.  Instead, we go full-tilt into a very sci-fi plot that doesn’t reveal much of a point plot-wise.  Granted, the metaphor of inorganic life being accidentally destroyed by haste and the desire to play god with one’s environment is good Trek fare, or at least in keeping with general Trek tradition.  However, we already saw a crystal-based lifeform back in Datalore, and we just had an eco-friendly message in the episode right before this one. As such, the episode lacks continuity and variation enough to make it anything really good.  I’d give it only 4 out of 10.

Episode 19: Coming Of Age

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

Captain Jean-Luc Picard greets his friend Admiral Gregory Quinn and his assistant Lt. Commander Dexter Remmick aboard the Enterprise. For classified reasons, Quinn has ordered Remmick to perform an investigation of the Enterprise and its crew and expects Picard to fully co-operate. Remmick's inquiry causes tension in the crew, particularly when he questions the trustworthiness of the senior staff based on their personal logs and past actions. A young cadet, having failed the Starfleet Academy entrance examination, attempts to run away in a shuttlecraft but ends up drifting. Picard is able to direct the cadet to pilot the shuttle away from a planet by bouncing off the atmosphere.

 The investigation is completed, and Remmick informs both Picard and Quinn that there is no sign of wrongdoing, and expresses his interest in joining its crew in the future. Quinn tells Picard that he feels there is an unknown force that may have infiltrated Starfleet, and he was seeking to assure himself of his trust in Picard and the Enterprise crew. To help combat this threat, Quinn offers Picard a promotion to Commandant of Starfleet Academy which would place Picard near Quinn at all times. Picard mulls the offer for some time, but eventually declines.

 Meanwhile, Wesley Crusher prepares to take the Academy entrance exam himself. He succeeds in passing several parts of the exam, and helps Mordock, a highly talented Benzite and fellow competitor, to solve a difficult test problem so that they may both advance. Wesley is worried about the psychological part of the exam, and he is directed to a room to wait for the test to start.

 While waiting, he hears an explosion nearby, and leaves the room to investigate. He finds two men trapped by fallen components in a fire-engulfed room. Wesley helps to release one man wounded under a heavy pipe, and tries to coax the other man to leave the burning room, but the man is frozen with fear. Wesley is forced to abandon him and drags the other man to safety. Outside the room, he discovers the explosion was fake and this was the psychological test: to see whether he could make a difficult decision (rescuing either man would pass the test).

 Eventually, the cadets are told of the results, and Mordock is granted admission into Starfleet Academy, while Wesley is encouraged to try again next year. Mordock thanks Wesley for his help and wishes him future success. After Wesley returns to the Enterprise, Picard confides in him that he also failed the examination the first time.

 Review:

Coming Of Age is the first episode of this show that hasn’t been flawed in concept, and actually has two quite decent plots that both work reasonably well.  Granted, in terms of the inquisition of the Enterprise crew by Remmick, it does grate in places because characters like Remmick are designed to be abrasive and unlikeable by design.  Moreover, it’s good to see some of how Picard and his crew have acted in past episodes called into question, even if the whole thing is only so much smoke and mirrors.

 In turn, Wesley’s story was a good one to watch as well, which is remarkable considering how horribly Wesley was being written in much of this show’s early episodes.  It’s also interesting to see the two plots interconnecting at the end through Wesley and Picard, and the scene where they talk in the observation lounge near the end is the kind of good quality scene we should have been getting between the pair from earlier on.  I know from behind-the-scenes features that to help Patrick Stewart understand his role, Roddenberry cited the Hornblower novel series.  As a fan of the TV adaptations of Hornblower done by ITV, I can see that under different circumstances, Picard and Wesley could have become equivalent to Sir Edward Pellew and Hornblower in their relationship. Sadly, it didn’t turn out that way, but I’m glad to finally get a truly decent episode out of this season.  I give it 8 out of 10.

[recentanimenews]

A Celebration of Women of Color in Anime

  Anime has always meant a lot to me as a person of color. I didn't see much of myself in my surroundings growing up, and even though I'm mixed Filipinx and not Japanese, it felt valuable to me that anime was an Asian-created medium. There were far more limits in terms of exposure and what you could readily learn about underrepresented cultures in the years before the internet became more widely accessible. As a result, early TV and video exposure to anime helped me indirectly feel proud of my own heritage.

I generally relate to media depictions of women more than men, so it should come as no surprise that women of color in anime comprise some of my favorite fictional characters, period. Though woefully misrepresented in all kinds of media, here's a non-hierarchical list of anime WOC who are respectfully depicted, nuanced, and poignant role models for our own lives too. Read on for more!

Nadia — Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

    A series known for its tumultuous production and Hideaki Anno's distinct directorial hand, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water is an aquatic adventure anime from the early '90s. The main character, Nadia, is a young woman of color searching for the truth about her past — and the secret of her blue-jeweled pendant.

One of Nadia's crowning traits is her connection with animals and the care she displays for them. Nadia communicates easily with King, her lion cub sidekick, and openly detests meat and hunting. The show also makes it clear that Nadia is a *gasp* vegetarian. It was pretty rare in the '90s for any show to feature a positive portrayal of vegetarians, so it's pretty cool to see her depicted as a genuinely caring animal-lover and not some meat-hating caricature.

Nadia is an "imperfect" heroine in the sense that she actually comes across like a real person with real struggles. She is (justifiably) prone to distrust others, can act hot-headed, grapples with intense depression, and doesn't always give people like Jean and Nemo the benefit of the doubt. Nadia's tendencies and behavior make perfect sense given her awful and abusive childhood, and that makes her one of the most interesting anime protagonists out there.

Yoruichi Shihōin — Bleach

    In Bleach, Yoruichi's coolness factor is off the charts. She can outrun Byakuya (one of the most powerful captains), knows how to help you achieve Bankai in three days, and can also transform from a black cat into a human at will. If Soul Society had its own version of LinkedIn, Yoruichi's resume would be top tier — it's no small feat to be the former Onmitsukidō commander and former 2nd captain of the Gotei 13.

Finally, much like the rest of the cast of Bleach, Yoruichi possesses a simple yet keen sense of style. Can you think of anyone over a century old who can wear purple and beige striped arm wraps and orange apparel with such finesse? I thought not.

Carole — Carole and Tuesday

Shinichiro Watanabe's new show Carole and Tuesday is yet another music fan's dream. While Kids on the Slope focused on Jazz, Watanabe's new outing hones in on pop singer/songwriters. One central message in the show is simple, yet timeless: Pursue your creative expression by staying true to yourself, and keep your creative fire safe from societal pressures intent on manipulating and/or extinguishing your gift. And with a Black woman — Carole — as one of the lead protagonists, this important message feels even more moving and powerful.

A Black woman as a lead character is the exception rather than the rule in the world of media, which is a disturbing reflection of larger oppressive social structures. That's why it feels refreshing to see a respectful portrayal in the form of Carole. We first meet her as an impoverished teenager in a big city without parents or a support network. Despite the financial and social odds stacked against her, Carole still longs to express herself and create a loving community through the power of music. Her dedication to her own creative integrity is a joy to watch, and as a musician myself, I found legitimate personal solace in her drive to be as artistically genuine as possible.

One of my favorite things about Carole is the ego-free support, sense of awe, and goodwill she displays toward other musicians. There's barely a hint of jealousy or competition between Carole and her main musical partner, Tuesday. The two get along amazingly well despite a few roadblocks, and Carole consistently honors their shared creative spirit. She even voices repeated praise for a rival musician named Angela, despite Angela's antagonistic remarks against the series' duo. As another impressive feat, Carole also manages to revive the joy of seasoned — and occasionally downtrodden — musicians due to her infectious creative passion. How can you not love such an inspirational character?!

Anthy Himemiya — Revolutionary Girl Utena

Revolutionary Girl Utena, is, well, revolutionary for a number of reasons. The show tackles gender essentialism head-on and makes some hefty statements about the toxicity of conventional social norms. Utena is an incredible character who challenges the classic patriarchal notions associated with princedom. I'd argue though, that her partner Anthy Himemiya is the true star of the show.  Without going into spoilers, Anthy is key to one of the biggest themes in the show: That for its own selfish gain, society is willing to endlessly enact cruel rigidity and heartlessness against women. It'd be both reductive and missing the larger point though, to interpret Anthy as a defenseless, subservient victim controlled by the harshness of a misogynistic culture. On the contrary, Anthy is perhaps the strongest figure in the entire series. Anthy does (at least in some ways) behave according to the interest of others, but she ultimately asserts her own worth and personal agency in a way that truly embodies the show's beautiful core. There are plenty of fascinating, insightful articles that go into depth about Revolutionary Girl Utena's symbolism and topics, so be sure to check some out. Anthy is a phenomenal character who stands out as one of the most memorable depictions of self-love, showing it's never too late to define your own life according to your needs, desires, and dreams.

Casca — Berserk

                              Berserk is likely my favorite manga, and undoubtedly my favorite work of dark fantasy. I always pair that praise with a very cautionary recommendation due to the intense gore and many disturbing sexual depictions throughout the series. While it's up to each individual to decide their limits in terms of extreme content, Kentaro Miura (the creator) softens Berserk's more unseemly edges by featuring sympathetic protagonists who organically evolve, and who are driven by immense love and support for one another in spite of a horrifyingly bleak world. That said, I find the central character Casca to be one of the strongest and most nuanced women in all of fiction. It's rare enough for a dark-skinned woman to be depicted at all in most media, and rare still for her to be given proper depth and well-deserved narrative development. Fortunately, Berserk gives us both.

In the Band of the Hawk arc — the first lengthy saga in Berserk, covered by the three recent films and the '90s anime — Casca is introduced as a well-regarded figure within the ranks of her mercenary brigade. Although she's portrayed as a strong fighter and a capable leader, the series deploys many different elements that prevent a one-sided characterization of Casca. For example, her tragic backstory highlights not only her strength and will to survive but also lends added weight to why she's so watchful of her comrades. After Casca is sent away by her own family as a child, she gains a new one in the form of the Band of the Hawk, and — much like a protective older sister — leads many of her men to safety on more than one occasion. The life and attachments Casca forges from the hell of her childhood imbues her character with skillfulness, tenacity, and meaningful emotional capacity. 

The love between Casca and Guts is a genuinely moving, reciprocal bond. While it's true that Guts saves Casca from demons on many occasions (which carries more than a hint of the misogynistic damsel-in-distress cliche), it's also true that Guts is saved from his lonely life largely because of Casca's love and presence. Though there's plenty to critique about the notion that masculine dependency is evidence of a healthy relationship, overall I find that Guts and Casca exhibit selfless, mutual gestures of love that challenge standard relational dynamics.

It can't be stressed enough how pivotal Casca is to Berserk's central storyline. Her badass skills as a fighter, coupled with her nuanced backstory and emotional depth, makes her one of my favorite anime characters of all time. 

Each anime in this list offers a uniquely touching testament to women of color. While by no means an exhaustive list, I hope you enjoyed it!

Are there other women of color from your favorite anime who aren't listed here? Let us know in the comments!

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