For the Pro-Relena fans:
character depth
she is not an idol
First, I have to say this to all involved, both anti and pro. I said this in the Wufei rant, and I will continue to say it: if you're going to stand against (or for) something, at least have something to say. This
is intended for those of you who have actually written arguments against her. I know that there are many who have intelligent arguments against Relena, and I respect that. But I cannot
remember how many times I have read an anti-relena argument who used "Her car is pink" for an argument against her character. And as far as the pro arguments...I've seen some pretty idiotic reasons for that. Her hair?!! Seriously, folks. It's your opinion and
I'm unconcerned with whether you like or do not like Relena. I myself do not consider myself a "fan" of Relena, and in fact I used to be starkly against her. But I have and do respect her as a character, and idiot arguments with unfounded claims are one of
the few things that really really piss me off, even if you're just doing it to be funny. I know that the pro side is glaringly short, and there are two reasons for that: the intelligent remarks of pros are pretty straightforward, and the rest are too stupid for words.
No offense.
Before I begin to focus on certain points, I would like to take a moment to describe a couple of things on which I am basing this argument. First of all, Relena is supposed to be fourteen at the beginning of the series. According to Erikson's theory of development, a person faces a series of challenges througout life. Psychological development is determined by whether we handle those crises negatively or positively, forming wither virutes or vices. By his theory, Relena is currently in the "identity vs. role confusion" stage, which is supposed to last until around age twenty, where a person enters the "intimacy vs. isolation" stage. Thus, according to Erikson, she is just now beginning to form a clear sense of who she is and what she wants. We all pass through this stage, trying on different styles until we find one that fits. Through most of the series, that's what Relena is doing.
In comparison to the Gundam pilots, who seem very sure of their identities, it may seem that as far as GW is concerned, that theory has been accelerated, meaning that Relena would be immature for her age group. Keep in mind, however, that of these boys, only two have had "normal" upbringings: Wufei and Quatre. As for Wufei, the death of his wife caused him to readjust his entire value structure to hers, and throughout the series he sometimes seems confused as well. Note that it is not until the end of Endless Waltz that Wufei has a firm sense of what he really means by "justice." Quatre, on the other hand, believes he is a test tube baby, which is the cause of a lot of confusion on his part. It is only when he meets the Maganacs (based on the manga) that he finds some sense of companionship. Another point is that even though they seem well assured of their identities, this does not mean that they actually are. A well-known female theorist, Karen Horney, theorized that two of the most common ways that people deal with their emotional problems are aggression and detachment.
The second point is Abraham Maslow's heirarchy of needs. He set a basis for human behavior that is regarded as generally accurate. He says that there are certain needs that a human being has that must be fulfilled in order to seek fulfillment to another. For example, the primary needs of people
are physiological: food, shelter, etc. The second is safety, the third is love/belongingness, and the fourth esteem. I estimate Relena to be at the third level, mostly after the death of her father. My reasoning for this will be made clearer in the argument.
The majority argument against Relena, as far as I have been able to gauge, is her relationship with Heero. The fact is that she is obsessive over him to begin with, and she follows him to several places (to the Naval base where Duo shoots him, to his new school, Antartica), and asks him numerous times whether or not he is going to kill her. Yes, she thinks about him constantly, wonders where he is, what he's doing, whether he's blown anything up recently, and occasionally tries to find him.
To address the issue that she thinks about him often and sometimes says his name for apparently no reason, I submit the following: the girl has a crush, okay? It's very common to meet a person and admire them so fully and immediately that you can't stop thinking about them. Even in a non-romantic atmosphere, people sometimes see other people and think "I wish I could be like that." For those of you who would argue that Relena's relationship is not romantic, the stalker issue shouldn't even be included in your argument, but if it is, this still applies. Relena's obsession, as it were, with Heero is sort of a helpless attachment that is perfectly normal. She admires his strength. When her father dies, she is without a dominant male figure in her life (Pagan definitely doesn't count), and she relies on Heero to be her model because he's the strongest person she knows.
While I agree that following him around for the simple fact that she wants to see him again is silly, she's only fourteen and as far as we know, her admiration/attraction for Heero could be the strongest emotional attachment outside of her family that she has ever had. Thus in my opinion, it can be attributed to her immaturity as a young, bored, and probably very sheltered girl with few ideals (I'm getting to the pacifism) or connections.
Her relationship with Heero changes, also, and that should not go without notice. In the latter half of the series, she sees him much less often. She still thinks about him, but then again, he was probably her first real role model/crush, and that's always a bugger to get over.
Point two in the Heero argument. and I know you hear this often: he does not reject her. He saves her life several times. This could be because she's an innocent, but he was ready to blow up the civilian shuttle to avoid being seen, so why would he have inhibitions over one girl?
He can't kill her. He goes to Libra to rescue her. While it's true that there is no direct romantic relationship between them, there are few people who impress Heero in the series, and none so much as Relena. Which means: she has charisma. And a measure of strength, even if it takes some time to develop it.
Another focal point in the "I hate Relena" argument is her pacifism. I am a firm believer that world peace is impossible. People like to fight too much. That does not, however, mean that we shouldn't hope for it. While I agree that her methodology in creating the Sanc kingdom was in error--total pacifism is illogical for a governmental system because it makes it impossible to defend the country over which is governs. However, I would like to point out that in Endless Waltz, Relena admits to Maremaia that her previous idea of total pacifism was in error, which is why she began calling herself Relena Peacecraft-Dorlian.
The distinction between "Peacecraft" and "Dorlian" that she makes in the statement is important in understanding her behavior. After learning that she is a Peacecraft, she does not immediately embrace it. At this point she thinks of Heero as the single strongest figure she knows.
By trying to emulate him, she is showing that she wants to become strong. It is not until after she goes to Antartica that she decides that she cannot be like Heero and thus decides to assume pacifism. It is not unordinary for a person to assume an occupation because his/her father/mother is a member of that occupation.
It's becoming less common, true, but the point is that human beings, especially while we are maturing, seek the approval of our parents. Relena's emulation of her father, who she never knew, is just another attempt to figure out who she wants to be.
Once or twice, sure, but always? Seriously. I've only seen one specific example ever mentioned in an argument.
People who use this as an excuse are stupid. Idiots. I don't mund saying it. Personal appearance is not a basis for character. Attractive people are mean. But on the case of her appearance...she isn't that ugly. Sure, she isn't what anime characters usually are, but take a look at the other GW girls. True, her dress style is annoying, but most of the time, she's in a uniform or is dressed for public appearance. Would you want someone hating you for the way your school uniform looked? Disregarding that, think on this for a change...this is at least 195 years from now. Think of what the dress style was two centuries ago. Also, the other characters don't have the best of clothing solutions either. Consider the following: spandex shorts, purple vest, pink button-up, not to mention Noin's cowboy outfit. 'Nuff said.
I'm sorry, but there really isn't a basis to the argument. She's rich, yes, she has a pink limo and a butler, and she can be demanding and immature.
This does not make her spoiled.
Right. This is a very common misconception. I personally think that Relena's behavior proves that she isn't spoiled. For one, there is no evidence that she gets everything she wants. Firstly I would like to point out that she doesn't ever seem happy at the start of the series. I've seen a point on an anti-relena page that denounces her for not smiling enough. Maybe she's unhappy. In episode one, her father leaves her on her birthday to attend to business. The way Relena responds suggests that this happens often. She doesn't seem very close to her mother either, and after the first few episodes, the woman isn't mentioned again. Is it because Relena is a selfish, spoiled rich kid? Or is it because, as so many "road to maturity" movies have taught, that being rich and famous just makes you lonely and detached. She hasn't got friends because they can't relate to her and her parents are too busy to nurture her. Love is more important than money, people. Poor people with friends are more adjusted to life than rich people who have few to none. No wonder she's intrigued by Heero. The first guy who's treated her like a normal person, even if it was by threatening her.
She isn't ungrateful, either. She doesn't ever complain. She accepts the way things are and deals with it. Occasionally she lets annoyance or frustration escape, but after all, she has no one she can really talk to--that builds up a lot of frustration. Considering, she's handling it.
As for the fanclub, yes, they are as annoying as satan in a box. I would like to point out, however, that it isn't Relena's fault if people follow her around. Think media and movie stars. She's rich and her father is important. I would like to add that she doesn't seem particularly pleased with them. She's not openly displeased, either, but as the vice foreign minister's daughter, she has to be able to behave politely in a social environment. I'm sure most of you have seen (or done it yourself) girls who run up to each other screaming and glomp each other as if they haven't seen one another in ages. Relena doesn't have that. She leaves her birthday party on the off-chance of seeing Heero, and while you may scream "Stalker!" I personally find it sad that she would rather seek out a hostile boy that she has known only for a few hours rather than be with her supposed friends and family.
Yeah, she's fifteen. So are the Gundam Pilots. Everyone in the series is younger than they should be. Sally, Noin, and Zechs are nineteen, for crying out loud. She's accomplished a lot more than you had, have or will at fifteen, so bugger off. And if that's a case against her...I'm speechless.
A truly unfounded claim is Relena's unimportance in the series. I haven't the space or time to elaborate the fullness of her contributions, so I'll make it short.
1. She changes Heero. If you watch the last episode (49) and the first (1), you will notice an enormous discrepancy in Heero's behavior. He's much softer in the last part of the series than the beginning. And while this isn't ample evidence for Relena's specific influence, consider the following: Heero hallucinates of Relena when he wakes up in Trowa's trailer, just after he had attempted suicide, and just after falling out of Wing Zero (right before passing out). These events are two of the most demanding of the series, and the fact that he thinks of Relena supports the idea that he seeks comfort and/or strength from her.
2. The Sanc kingdom. Yes, it failed. But she influenced people and she gained a name for herself. Also, the Sanc kingdom provides an extraordinary base for the introduction of Dorothy Catalonia. If she had been introduced elswhere, her ideals would not have had the effect they had in a totally pacifistic environment. The importance of the Sanc kingdom is truly as a stage in Relena's development and a basis for her later positions, which do hold significance.
3. Queen of the World. She was intended to be a figurehead, true, but she managed to grasp some of the power for herself in any case, a feat that is extremely impressive for such a young and previously insecure girl.
4. She inspires the people. Even anti-Relena fans often admit that she is admired by many in the series. The use of her for a figurehead for the Romefeller foundation and Maremaia's kidnapping of her proves that she is important/influential. If you respond "so what?," you're missing the point. She is influential, which implies that there must be something strong or charismatic about her person. This in turn implies that she has influence on the major characters as with the minor.
5. Endless Waltz. People who say she has no purpose are ignoring her importance in Endless Waltz. Her conversations with Maremaia reveal most of the girl's character, the basis of her quest for power and...lo and behold...the title quotation itself! Furthermore, the reason Heero goes after Maremaia is because "Relena's been kidnapped." No, not important at all.
6. Ikaeda, one of the creators of GW, said: "the girl Relena represented what was still good about earth." Symbolic importance, right there.
The show could still be written without her, you say? Of course it could. It could be written without Heero or Zechs or any other character. Sure, it would change the plot if one of the Gundam boys were missing, but the same thing is true for Relena. That argument is just bloody stupid.
Relena has been misconstrued by her fans as often as her haters, which has in many cases contributed to their arguments.
First of all, most Relena fans are Relena-Heero fans. This means that the basis for their support comes from a relationship which is commonly abused by both sides. The anti-Relena fans say, "she stalks him, he hates her." The pro say, "the two of them are so in love! it's just like a fairy tale!" In fanfic, that's cool. Interpretation is part of the game. But there is no basis for either. True, he cares for her, and she admires him, but that does not strictly constitute love. Even if they kind of like each other, that isn't foundation for marriage or even a prolonged romantic relationship.
Relena is not as shallow as many make her out to be. Pro-Relena pages are generally divided into two categories: those that view her as a vital and charismatic character and those who think she is cute, pretty, smart, brave, and many other monosyllabic words that are rarely explained. As for the cotton candy fans, I'm afraid pink isn't an argument. Often the more intelligent Relena fans are belittled by the anti-faction, partially from stubborness and partially because arguments either way are relatively ill-founded.
The main problem with Relena fans is that you ignore her depth, as I said. Very few arguments I have found view her as a dynamic character. She is most definitely not the same person at the beginning as she is at the end. At the beginning of the series, she is immature and irritating. She's a child. She's a little girl that has yet to understand life or people. She's alone and desparate and not really the ideal princess many make her out to be. Many of you ignore her basic flaws.
Yes, i said flaws. She has them. Some of you acknowledge that. She is more obsessed with Heero than she should be. She makes mistakes, and she isn't really ready for the power that she takes. She doesn't understand the ideals upon which she bases everything. She's confused and incomplete throughout the series, and she causes harm to come to others. You cannot ignore her mistakes or her flaws and idealize her into a barbie princess. She is neither.
She isn't that pretty, to begin with. I'm not saying she's ugly by any means. She's not. But there's nothing overly striking about her appearance. She looks like a normal person, and that's what she is. She's not supposed to be a gorgeous person that everyone envies. There's a little bit of Relena in most people: the desire to do good, the weakness of indecision, and the errors and acheivements that mark humanity.
Relena does not have a perfect life. Money and a pink limo isn't everything. Her lack of inhibition about leaving her home and mother behind is evidence enough for that. She's a princess...with a country that she has to actually run, which is not an easy task. She has many decisions to make, both ethical and political, that should not be envied. Her reputation alone is exhaustive. Queen of the World isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Be creative. Be respectful. And above all else, don't be stupid.
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