Oh man does this thing always get me so fired up or what and I'm a woman... I've noticed that it's become almost like a general rule for me to dislike if not hate female characters everywhere in the media. I don't like the so called "tough" women (which is more often than not a bitch in these days. Try writing a guy like that and he'd be hated), women ruling over men (like for example a family setting, where she is the head of the household instead of him and usually is written as at least verbally abusive towards the girl called a man, but again try flipping that around and the man would be hated), or the bitchy sometimes abusive woman also ruling over other women who aren't flat out witches (*coughs*ouat regina*coughs*ncis ziva*coughs* now these are abusive bitches towards men and women alike, especially regina, but then with her raping, child abuse, murders and genocide among other things it's hard to do any worse), loud and incredibly obnoxious, actual sluts (I don't like man whores either, before someone gets their pants twisted. I'm looking at you James Bond, although to be fair with his career it's probably not easy to keep a relationship) or also the not needed typical "hey it's action movie and it doesn't even fit in with the rest of the story, but let's throw in that typical whiny woman who is brainlessly nosy and whoops now she needs saving because we need to have romance everywhere since obviously we can't make a good story without that" (Not to say I hate all damsels in distress stories, because I don't, I actually like many of them, but I'm talking about certain type of movies here). D'oh d'oh d'oh as Frank Grimes would say (poor guy...). It's like a woman wearing the dress, who is also sweet and kind in general, possibly married to a good guy and raising her kids can't be tough anymore. Why not write actual female for a change again and not some wannabe man wearing a female body. It's not like it's even hard, not with all the writers out there, even if mostly the bad ones seem to be hired in these days (who simply can't write whether the story is good or bad). But whatever. It's hard to like women in media anymore. I still do sometimes, but again, as a general rule now it's not very likely...

Strong, smart and capable. Hermione, basically.

But also, all kinds. I like to see as many different female characters as possible.

I kinda like the ones that do their thing
They're rude if it serves the purpose, or if it really doesnt, aren't above apologizing as needed

But the ones where they take how they'd have a guy play it, stick a female in, and then insist on "strong character" or something dumb...geh
Especially if, as leo says, the guy would be hated for it

Well, as I can see from the poll you are a Madoka fan~
Where did you get those lyrics (I have come across those lyrics in an english version of the song!)
When I was younger I didn't care what the girl characters in games wear, now that I am older I am like ... okay you can't fight in those heels gurl. Skimpy clothing ... I just want the designers to put in as much thought in the female characters than the males! Now before you think I am saying they don't put in much thought, I know they do, but I would like to see less sexy clothes and more fighting clothes, or more sexy clothes for the males. And I don't mean topless, those boys better be wearing nearly nothing like the girls!

In the end, if the game is good, it won't turn me away from playing games ... ONE THING WHICH PUTS ME OFF IS HAVING STRONG MALE FIGHTERS AND WEAK FEMALES. That really upsets me :/

I love strong female characters.

I'm only annoyed by skimpy outfits if that's the only option. I hate when that happens.

What I would really love is skimpy options for both sexes. AND regular clothes too. That would be awesome.

I do get annoyed when a character is just a straight up archetype. Ugh.

I personally like characters who aren't defined by their genders, and although I'm not immune to it, I prefer stories where characters aren't objectified (or if they are, that the issue is addressed directly and is provided with some resolution).

An example of a female character I like is Judy (Zootopia). She isn't aggressive or delicate, but positive, bold, and cheerful. I feel like I'd like her no matter what gender, race, or age she is, and to me, that makes her an awesome character.

I also tend to like characters created by Ryohgo Narita (of Baccano and DRRR). I would consider many of his female characters to be strong in their own ways, and I like that they have goals outside of romantic pursuits, and that their self worth isn't driven by their appearances or popularity.

(Nothing wrong with wanting to be in a relationship, or wanting to be accepted, but I find Narita's characters to be refreshing in comparison to the typical female characters I'm exposed to in anime.)

I like strong female characters as well (I like strong characters in general), but I don't enjoy it as much when they make it into a gender issue. I'm not much impressed by girls who act like they are better than boys, but this may be because I'm often exposed to a friend who shares that trait. I also don't like female rivalry that is driven by the fact that they're both female (and often times after the same dude). It's just not my thing.

Some other female characters I like are those from Claymore, and those from Nozaki-kun. The two are very different genres, but the women in the former are impressive and pretty badass, while the latter has pretty relatable, humorous, and endearing characters.

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Responding more directly to Moi's post, when I was a kid, my favorite character was Mercury. She had a very sweet personality, and was gentle and intelligent. Those are traits I liked in my friends, so it was natural that she'd end up a favorite.


The majority of people who object to skimpy outfits on fictional women are female, yeah, but in a way, it makes sense, since they don't feel like they're well-represented. Often times, women are objectified in media, and it does affect society's perception of them, whether folks in society are aware of it or not. People do develop biases due to exposure, and sexism is a real thing and is something that can be reinforced in media.

I don't think fictional females who dress in skimpy outfits are sluts, but when you think about it, their outfits aren't necessarily their choice. It's something that was put on them by their creators, who very well may be objectifying them.

On one hand, that is their business, what they do with their characters, but I don't think it's okay. I don't like it when it's done to female characters, and I don't like it when it's done to male characters either. Oftentimes, fan service just feels cheap and tacky to me.

I really like the girls who are always daydreaming, like Alice, or Dorothy, or even Ariel. I think I just relate to that kind of mentality, and their daydreaming ends up taking them to another world.

I've always loved Bubbles. She's an adorable little ray of sunshine, but she can also fight just as tough as her sisters. I love Usagi because she's kinda lazy and emotions, but when she's Sailor Moon, she can really buckle down and focus on what she needs to do.

I'm also drawn to "gothic" characters. Wednesday Addams is my favorite example. I also love Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

Another two characters that I adore are Endora and Aggie Cromwell. They are so proud to be witches that they just won't listen to their daughters, who want to do everything the mortal way. They're just like "Screw you. I'm a witch. I do witchy things."