Miko Nakadai: NOT a Mary Sue

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Miko Nakadai : NOT a Mary Sue.

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Well...that escalated quickly...

You know, this was only supposed to be a one time deal, but for some inexplicable reason, I find myself compelled to type more. Maybe it's the responses you guys have given, who knows?

Anyway, before I start off, let me get a few things straight. The reason this isn't in the forums is because...well I have a bit of a thing for forums...I just don't feel comfortable there...kinda hard to explain, so just think lactose intolerance...

As for some of those who feel I might be trying to steer people away from JackxArcee, and I should let people write whatever they want, let me reassure you that I agree. These little 'essay' as I have mislabeled it, isn't meant to pressurise anyone, but only meant to deliver my honest opinions. If you like a particular pairing, that's alright; go ahead and write it, I won't complain. (Not loudly, anyway...)

And now for the main event. Is Mikoto 'Miko' Nakadai a Mary Sue? The answer, as you may have guessed, is a colossal 'No', and I'll tell you why.

First off, I would like to attempt to define exactly what a Mary-Sue is. This is only for those who do not understand what exactly the term Mary Sue means. If you are already well-versed in Sue-ology, then you can feel free to skip this section. If you are a novice and new to writing, then please, for the love of God, DO NOT SKIP THIS.

A Mary-Sue, or Gary-Stu for male characters, is usually an over-extravagant, idealistic self insert of the author, or in other words, the person the author most wishes they could be. Of course, this definition is not exactly a very solid one, as it is known that some authors create Mary-Sues by complete accident, and so, may not exactly be a self inserts, but rather a character the author favors too much. I know so; I created one such horror myself, before I scrapped him, and the memory still fills me with a measure of shame.

Mary-Sues often infest the fan fiction community the worst. This is somewhat understandable. Most authors here are youngsters still struggling with perfecting their writing, myself included, and they often can create a Mary Sue.

There is a reason Mary Sues are despised. They are almost always too perfect. Everything seems to go their way, they are usyally endowed with great powers, to the point of being god like, have command of over a hundred languages, will always have some sort of overly tragic past, and, in the case of fanfiction, usually warp the foundations the world is built on to suit the character.

The author will almost always end up focusing on the character so much, that the main cast is usually pushed aside and demoted to the rank of awed spectators that gasp in astonishment at the Mary Sue's extraordinary abilities.

Even the appearance of a Mary Sue is questionable. Mary Sues are often very beautiful, almost angelic, will have oddly colored hair or eyes, may possess a sort of highly unusual trait, like a birthmark or tattoo (A rainbow colored zit comes to mind ...Oops! Sorry, about that; were you eating?) , may wear clothes that make them highly attractive, but do not reflect the character's personality (I'm imagining gold plated Calvin Klein shorts...I'm sorry; I'll stop now) , and often posess a trinket of some sorts that may, or may not be the source of their power. It's all quiet hilarious, really.

Mary Sues also have extravagant and very very long names. They may be composed of nouns that aren't usually used as names, or normal names that have been altered to sound exotic.

In short, Mary Sues are overly perfect characters. Flat, boring, and uninteresting, with no room for development. Kinda like Lindsay Lohan, if you think about it...

But let's not forget that not all Mary Sues are easily identifiable. Some may look like perfectly ordinary characters, but underneath lies a Mary Sue waiting to leap out any second.

I should probably provide a little bit of information about the male counterpart of the Mary Sue, the Gary Stu, but in the interests of time, I will not be able to write that in. And besides, we're dealing with a female character.

Now, the main point of all of this: Miko Nakadai.

Fans of Transformers, especially the Miko haters, have torn down this character, with claims that she is a Mary Sue. Is she? Of course she isn't. (insert troll face here)

I'll get the first thing out of the way: Miko's behaviour. Fans have frothed with rage at the fact that despite nearly getting herself killed, Miko puts herself in danger. She just doesn't seem to learn her lesson, and she always seems to get away with it.

Well, of course she won't; she's just a kid.

You see, there are lots of fifteen year olds like Miko who often do the exact same thing they were warned not to do over and over again. I know, because I spent all of my time in high school in a class full of such people; there would be an act of tomfoolery, followed by swift action from the faculty, followed by several visits to the supervisor's office, followed by a moment of calm, and then the whole process would repeat itself again.

So you see, it's not just some plot device; Miko's just doing what any rebellious teenager would do. Add her dislike for being left out of the loop, her fascination for the Autobots, and there you have it.

Of course, this reckless behaviour seems to have some props. In 'Shadowzone', it was Miko who took the initiative to retrieve Rafael's spectacles, despite the fact she would have been killed in the process. In the first few episodes, we see her picking up an axe and attacking Soundwave's tentacles, battlecry included, and the axe makes a reappearance in 'Convoy', being the weapon she picks up to fight off MECH's goons. I have to admit, I actually admired that stroke of bravery; it's not very easy to bare your teeth and stand your ground when you're fifteen and facing off terrorists armed with guns.

Fans have of course wondered why on Earth haven't the Autobots taught her to sit still. I think they have. By season two, I noticed that Miko seemed to have toned down a little. Perhaps she realized her spontaneous sorties through the Ground Bridge were proving disadvantageous, or maybe the events of 'T.M.I' and 'Rock Bottom' taught Miko that maybe getting in the way isn't such a good idea.

Then, we have her behavior in 'Tunnel Vision'. I noticed a few fans were a little more than upset about her jibes at their favorite 'Oh-so-mighty' Jack. I for one, was actually quite impressed. While it may just be simple jealousy on the outside, I saw hints of something more. Does Miko want to be on equal terms with Jack? Does she want to be useful to Team Prime instead of being a liability? Does she want to make up for the things she did in season one? It seems likely. Add the fact that she might be getting more development this season, and it we might be looking at a more serious Miko.

(Note: One thing I noticed, while stalking a forum, was that some fans seem to hate Miko so much, that they'd rather have her out of the show for good instead of having her develop, like Jack and the others did. Do you really hate her that much?)

Whoops! I seem to be getting off topic! Anyway, I think I've made my point: Miko, despite all appearances, is a developing character, wether you like it or not.

Now, let's take a look at her name. I came to realise that a lot of people have attacked Miko because her name sounds somewhat exotic, as it is a Shinto term meaning 'shrine maiden' or something along the lines of that. But let's not look at it that way.

Now, I don't know how many people know this, but 'Miko' is a Japanese name and is the short form of the name 'Mikoto'. In fact, the name is actually unisex, applicable to both men and women. In the popular Naruto manga and anime, Sasuke Uchiha's mother is named Mikoto Uchiha. Likewise, we have a real life Japanese-American blogger named Miko Matsumara, and he's a guy. And please don't ask me what 'Mikoto' means; I have absolutely no idea.

Now, let's take a look at her design. I was actually laughing when I heard some people deride Miko for dressing up like a Mary Sue. See what I wrote up there about Mary Sues and extravagant clothing. In fact, as I'm writing this section, I'm still laughing, because I can't believe I'm actually writing it.

But first, let's take a look at the other character models. As you may no doubt be aware, a character's appearance is usually designed so as to reflect their personalities. This is also apparent in the way we dress. Our personalities extend all the way to our clothing; we dress the way we like, because we like it that way. The same applies to the characters' physique and body design.

Take Optimus Prime for example. As an Autobot leader, he has to be able to instill order in his troops. He is the piercing blade of the Autobot sword, and the first into battle, and the last out. So naturally, his character model must represent this. Optimus is given large, muscular arms, long, powerful legs, and a broad chest. The smooth lines of his frame, and the thin waist gives his form a certain dynamism I can't quite put my finger on, and his towering height over the other Autobots signifies Optimus as the undisputed leader. He is large and in charge.

Next, we have Starscream. As a Decepticon, his form is more angular and pointed, and he has the pointed chin that's missing a goatee. As a sneaky traitor and liar, he is thinner, and his limbs are less muscular, suggesting a stealthier character, one who wouldn't hesitate to stab you in the back.

Then, we have Knockout. He's arrogant, cares a tad too much about his paintjob, and is a little on the sadistic side. He's given a nice Aston Martin-esque vehicle mode complete with a red paintjob for him to admire, and his frame is designed to evoke a sense of luxury and opulence.

Moving on to Jack. As a down to Earth sort of person, he's tall, with a narrow face, suggesting seriousness. He dresses in clothes he seems satisfied with; he doesn't mind the fact that he dresses in a simple jeans-and-shirt set up, he's okay with it. His hair is black and hurriedly brushed to one side adding to that serious aura.

And now we have Miko. Miko, the rambunctious, rebellious teenager, the wild cat.

She's slim, with lean arms and legs, suggesting a hidden fiestiness, and her knee-high boots evoke her all-action sense of adventure. Her clothing is a chaotic mish mash of colours, that wonderfully evoke her own wild personality. He hair, colored pink or red, I can't tell which, tells us she doesn't give a damn what you think; she'll do whatever she wants with her hair.

She also reminds me of Verity Carlo from the IDW comics continuity, somewhat.

So you see, Miko's design isn't just the character designers' desicion. It's her desicion as well, and this applies to all the characters as well.

In other words, Miko is not a Mary Sue. She has flaws, like her recklessness, and her spontaneity, but this is balanced out by her bravery, and loyalty to her friends. I will repeat: Mikoto 'Miko' Nakadai is NOT a Mary Sue.

However, if you still feel she is a Mary Sue, then that's okay. I won't argue, nor do I have any intention of starting an argument.

Before I sign off, let's take a look at Miko's place in the human trio. In almost every cartoon or book I've read, we always have our main cast come in patterns of three. It's worked quite well, really. We have a smart serious male leader, there's another male character that's the goofyband reckless comic relief, and then we have the nerdy female bookworm, who irritably chides the other two when things go wrong.

In Transformers: Prime, the same pattern is repeated again, but with some differences. We still have the leader type, namely Jack. However, the nerd slot has been taken by Rafael, though he is somewhat less irritable than most female nerd characters. And surprisingly, we have the reckless spot taken by Miko.

I like what the creators have done here. Instead of having a girl falling into a gender stereotype, we have a tomboy in the form of Miko. She isn't what you would expect from a girl, especially if you're a young kid, and it's actually a very refreshing take on the Three-Characters-Pattern. I'd actually like to see more characters like Miko, who actually act on their instinct and guts and take risks.

So, I'll conclude this with a question. Who would you prefer? A run-of-the-mill female Know-it-All along the lines of Alexis Thi Dang (Unicron Trilogy) or an unpredictable risk taker like Miko? You decide.

-This is Zapwing, signing off so he can quietly arrange his socks.