Hey, everyone who watches Sailor Moon has to have a favorite Sailor, right? Well, mine's Jupiter. Why? I dunno... She's friendly and warmhearted, but that could be said about Sailor Moon, too, so that can't be the whole story. She's tough, and isn't afraid to fight for what she believes in. Oh, and she's tall. I like tall girls. What can I say?

There's something loveable about the lucky-yet-airheaded Galaxy Policewoman (well, the OAV version of her, at least). She's clumsy and inept, but good-natured and selfless, and somehow manages to get done what needs to be done. It's fun to watch her occasionally do something completely unexpected, like her exhaustive report to Galaxy Police Headquarters. Given the choice between Mihoshi, Ayeka, and Ryoko, I'd take Mihoshi every time - she may be a walking disaster area, but at least I'll always know her heart's in the right place.

While not a rabid Sailor Moon fan, I do rather like the show. So, when Eudial appeared, I was simply overjoyed to see a Sailor Moon villain who actually seemed to have a bit of grey stuff between her ears. She's clever and inventive, creating many powerful gadgets that were actually useful. More than that, she was actually able to succeed in her mission to find the Holy Grail - and if Sailor Moon had been a hair less light-footed, would have claimed the Grail for herself. Businesslike and authoritative, even Professor Tomoe listened when she had something to say. Truly, a formidable Bishoujo...

I like Rei. In spite of the fact that she's unbelievably overpopular (often something that in itself is enough to turn me off from a character), Rei Ayanami still managed to catch my interest. It's always fun to watch a character who behaves in a manner so totally unlike any usual expectations that she confounds pretty much everyone she comes across. But even more than that, it is interesting to watch her on those rare occasions when her inner humanity seems to seep briefly to the surface. While not my favorite catch by a long shot, Rei Ayanami is a worthy addition to my collection.

Misao's the youngest member of the Oniwaban Group, and is truly fun to watch. Lively, gung-ho, and tenacious, she's willing to work for what she wants, and woe betide anyone who tries to stand in her way! Another genki character earns a valued place in my collection.

Ah, Skuld - the Goddess of Debuggers! As a programmer myself, there have been many times that I wished that I could debug programs with a hammer... Skuld may be a bit bratty, and has quite the big sister complex, but she's good at heart, as one would expect a goddess to be. I see a lot of my own little sister in her (at least, my own little sister when she was going through her own bratty phase - she's much better now!), and so I can't help but like the kid.

El-Hazard is my favorite Anime, so I simply had to have Ifurita in my collection - and, since she'd never been caught before, I am proud to be the first! Who can resist the tragic story of an unstoppably powerful weapon who yearns to be free of her violent existence? Ifurita's story is one of the most romantic I've seen in an anime, and it's a shame that her anime isn't better known.

To my reckoning, no collection of El-Hazard is complete without saying a bit about this version of Ifurita, from the TV version of the series. While often criticized by El-Hazard fans for being so totally unlike the original Ifurita I found her to be an unexpected and welcome surprise. "The Wanderers" tells a very different story than "The Magnificent World", and in this version, Ifurita serves as the comic relief rather than the focus, but it is still a good story. While I prefer the story told in the original, TV Ifurita is definitely my favorite character from either cast.

While Hilde is a close second, Dorothy is probably my favorite of the Gundam Wing women, if only by virtue of the fact that she has a much larger role than Hilde. Why do I like her? She's a total psycho. (Of course, that phrase could describe a large percentage of the cast of Gundam Wing, male and female alike.) You never really know what she's going to do next. That, and her little verbal sparring matches with Relena are always fun to watch. You can never be sure when Dorothy is being sarcastic, and when she's deadly earnest...

Lady Silver Senshi is the maintainer of the Pocket Bishoujo page, and has done a fabulous job of it. I decided to catch her for myself, partly as a way of saying "thanks" (this is saying thanks?). I don't catch just any Bishie, you know! Of course, it doesn't hurt that it's such an incredibly cute picture. ^_^ Though, I like the pics of her with glasses, better...

I caught Wakaba Shinohara more or less on a whim. She's... an odd individual. Nevertheless, she currently ranks as my favorite female character on Revolutionary Girl Utena, largely for her role in straightening Utena out in episode 12. The rest of the time, she's a hyperactive, clingy girl who claims to be madly in love with Utena. I can't really figure out if she's serious, or kidding around - or whether she herself really knows for sure. That's Wakaba for you. O_o

While nearly all of the characters from the game were amazingly deep, Celes was especially so. Raised from a genetically engineered birth to be a warrior for an evil empire, somewhere along the way she still managed to develop a conscience and rebel against her evil masters. In the end, the became, arguably, the most devoted of all of the heroes of the game, as it was up to her to reassemble the Returners after they had been scattered by Kefka's devastation of the world. All this, and a very cute romance, too! Who could ask for more?

A lot of the characters that I consider to be my favorite from a given series fall under one of two catgories: Lovable ditz, or likely to take me for all I'm worth. Nabiki, obviously, fits under the latter category. I get something of a thrill watching Nabiki scam some poor sucker (usually Ranma) outrageously, and getting away with it. I dunno why - there's probably something wrong with me. At any rate, I'm glad to have her, and even more glad to be the first!

Amelia Wil Tesla Sairoon, the Justice Paladin! Amelia's optimism and naivety have always been one of the best parts of The Slayers for me. She might seem to be a bit flaky, but she's just as competent and capable as her friends. Besides, SOMEONE has to remind Lina and Zelgadis of what's ethical and what's not, every now and then. I just had to catch her for myself, and, lucky me, I was the first!

Here's another one of those Bishoujo who fit under the category of "likely to take me for all I'm worth". Yuffie was always my favorite character from Final Fantasy VII, largely because she seemed to be the least stereotypical of the characters (well, there was Cait Sith, too - but he's my second-favorite). Anyone who's devoted to saving the world, but still willing to rip off all her friends is okay in my book!

Tron is the mechanical genius of the Bonne family, and really the only member that's a real threat to Megaman (which is rather ironic, considering that she has an adorably cute crush on him, as well). While her brothers are a riot as well, it's always fun to watch Tron Bonne and her faithful Servbots in action!

Nanami Jinnai combines the best aspects of my two favorite genres of anime characters, the cheerful ditz and the scheming mercenary. Nanami is always cheerful and optimistic, but she's also clever and resourceful. Who else could start up her own restaurant within days of being dumped into an alien world? Nanami's my second favorite female from the worlds of El-Hazard - and I'm the first to catch her!

Ah, poor Schala, the tragic victim of Chrono Trigger. If she'd only had the will to stand more firmly against the wishes of her mother, a lot of the problems in the game would never have happened. Nevertheless, for such a kind and compassionate girl to be found among the Enlightened Ones is nothing short of astounding, and I found myself wishing that I could have helped her more during the game. Definitely my favorite extra from Chrono Trigger.

Princess Rune Venus, First Princess of Roshtaria and the Allied Nations! She is a wise and compassionate ruler, though, admittedly, a somewhat bland character. Still, in my mission to collect all of the Bishonen and Bishoujo of El-Hazard, she was a very necessary addition! And I caught her first! So nyaaah!

In a series as twisted and mixed up as Neon Genesis Evangelion, it was nice to see a character who was NORMAL. Hikari could well be the girl next door, and I think that she provided a much-needed element of stability to a series that became less and less stable as it reached its climax. I was glad for the scenes she was in.

Wow, is there anything she CAN'T do? Lucca is a genius, and creates/operates/repairs pretty much all the gadgetry that the heroes stumble across throughout the game. More than that, she's the most powerful magic user of the bunch. Plus, she has personality to spare! How could anyone not like her?

At first, Lain seems to be one of those painfully introverted types of anime girls. You know - the ones who, whenever anyone talks to them, they just stare intently back, as though asking, "Why are you talking to me?" It doesn't take long for the viewer to realize that Lain is just a wee bit more than that. Without giving anything away, I think I can safely say that Lain has one of the most interesting (if hard to follow) stories of any anime character out there.

Most men dream of winning a beautiful princess at some point in their lives. While my ideal princess would not be much like Rune Venus, she is, nevertheless, intended as this archetype. Certainly Makoto seems to be happy enough with her - and in the end, isn't that really all that matters? As a part of my El-Hazard collection, I'm happy to be the first to catch the TV version of Rune Venus.

Poor, sweet Sylphiel gets such a bad rap from Slayers fandom. In her, though, I recognize a lot of myself. I know very much what it is like to be an introvert, and I sympathize with her when I see her targeted with accusations of being cowardly, wimpy, or meek. Just ask Phibrizzo how meek she was when she was pumping a Dragon Slave down his throat. Go, Sylphiel!!!

She's cute. She's evil. She's cute and evil. Those are pretty much the reasons she's my favorite female villain from Lunar Silver Star Story. Unlike her sisters, who have more complex motivations for their actions, Royce is purely a bad egg. Sometimes, a simple villain is refreshing. That, and she gets some of the best lines in the game.

So, what do you do when a man claiming to be centuries old insists you are the reincarnation of the famous swordsman Yagyu Jubei, and that you must wear a ridiculously silly heart-shaped eyepatch and fight evil? Throw the eyepatch in the river, of course. Jiyu Nanohana has the dubious honor of being the only sane character in an extraordinarily zany anime. It's fun to watch her blank looks of disbelief each time her life throws her another incomprehensible curve ball. That, and it's fun to watch her KICK SERIOUS BUTT on those occasions when she actually allows herself to become Jubei.

Afura Mann is probably my favorite of the three elemental priestesses of El-Hazard, not so much because she's something special, but because both of the other two get on my nerves from time to time. ^_^ Afura herself does not receive a lot of character development in any El-Hazard series, as the focus is more on Miz and Shayla because of their respective love interests. So, it's hard to really develop an opinion about her. Anyway, I'm the first to catch her!

NOOO! Someone broke my monopoly on being the first to catch El-Hazard Bishoujo! I was not able to be the first to capture this elemental priestess. I captured her anyway, though, to supplement my collection of El-Hazard Bishoujo. Miz is probably the most entertaining of the three priestesses. While probably the most strong-willed of any of them, she continually tries to play the "helpless maiden" in order to attract Mr. Fujisawa's attention. She has very definite ideas on how romance works, and woe be anyone who disagrees with her views!

Lemina Ausa... It's tough to imagine someone like her being descended from sweet, gentle Mia from the first Lunar game. Well maybe not so tough, considering that she's also descended from Nash. ^_^ Lemina is the money-crazed advocate of the city of Vane, and it's best to keep a tight grip on your wallet if she's around. Which means, of course, that once again, I've picked a ruthlessly greedy girl as my favorite. What's WRONG with me?!?

The Queen of the Bugrom Empire is probably most notable as the only woman insane enough to promote Katsuhiko Jinnai to a position of military power. I can't say I really respect the poor woman much as a leader... At least she's looking out for the interests of her people - or thinks that she is. Ah, well, I caught her anyway. And first, too!

I mentioned in Dorothy's entry that Hilde was a close second. Naturally, then, when this species of Bishoujo was discovered, I had to have one! Why do I like Hilde? That's a tough one. I think the reasons are pretty shallow: i.e., she's the cutest girl on the show, in my opinion. That, and it's always amusing to me how she has the God of Death wrapped around her finger. ^_^

Nanami is the Bishoujo that emerged from the mysterious Bishoball that I claimed as part of Lady Silver Senshi's 40000 hit celebration! She's one of the main characters of Suikoden II, a game for Playstation (and a game I'd never played ^_^;;). From what I've read of her, she's the sister of the hero, and a bit of a tomboy.

As one of Seifer's stooges, Fujin's role in the game is the same as Reijin's: To remain blindly loyal to Seifer, no matter what he does. In spite of the fact that Seifer is a moron. Well, aside from that, it turns out that Reijin's and Fujin's loyalty has a deeper meaning than just that of sheep following a leader, and that turned out to be one nice surprise in a game whose characters were really pretty bland. Anyway, Fujin had heaps more character than most of the main characters of the game, so I decided to collect her.

Who could possibly not love Milly? Milly Thompson is another of those characters who is staunchly upbeat, though somewhat naive, so she automatically earned a high rating in my book. The fact that she hauls around a stungun the size of a small motorcycle doesn't hurt any either. Cute girls and big guns - a tried-and-true combination. ^_^

Duplica appeared in exactly one episode of Pokémon. It's too bad she couldn't have appeared in more - she seemed to be way more interesting a character than either Ash or Misty. Anyway, she was cool enough for me to collect.

Ah, Alielle, the cuddly, lesbian nymphomaniac from El-Hazard. In spite of the fact that her near-constant attempts to get into the pants of most of the female cast of the show got on my nerves after a while, there's no denying that the girl's happiness is infectious. The fact that she's also clearly quite intelligent is a plus, as well. For these reasons, I tend to prefer the "Wanderers" version of her to the "Magnificent World" version. Oh, and I caught her first!

D'aar! Faris is a fascinating individual, even if I do catch myself referring to her as "he" way more often than I'd like (darnit, it's not my fault she's a crossdresser!). She has quite an interesting past. Also, I don't mind at all that Squaresoft gave her a stereotypical pirate accent for the official release. So there! :P

Terra Branford's one of those types who are not quite human and trying to figure out how to be more so. I typically have a soft spot for characters like that, and Terra's no exception. In spite of a few lines on her part that had me rolling my eyes, I found her all-in-all to be as deep and interesting as the rest of the FF3 cast (MAN what a great game!).

Birdy the Mighty is actually a much better show than one might suspect at first glance, and the same holds true for its lead character. Birdy is a great heroine - she's powerful, self- confident and competent without being perfect in any of those regards, and she's a sexy character without that being her sole redeeming feature. Definitely a nice addition to my collection!

Ah... what to say about Princess Fatora... She's, well, scary. O_o Think of Ranma 1/2's Happosai, only young and lesbian, and you wouldn't be too far off the mark. This is a girl that knows what she wants (i.e., booty, booty, and more booty), and goes to absurd lengths to get it. I guess you have to admire her determination... Anyway, I caught her first. Did I really want to?

Excel is probably the most insane anime character ever to have a show named after her. Excel Saga is an incredibly twisted and warped show, and a pleasure to watch if your mind is as twisted and warped as mine. And no character on the show is more twisted and warped than Excel. Of COURSE I had to have her! ^_^

Kosuke Fujishima seems to have a talent for creating likable female characters, and Megumi is a great example of this. Megumi and Keiichi (the lead character) are sister and brother, and their interactions are just perfect in this regard.. She occasionally annoys him, but under it all, she shares a close bond with her brother, and each supports the other whenever they need help. After Skuld, Megumi is my favorite character from this series.

Two Alielles? That's right - this second Alielle emerged from a mysterious Bishoball that I obtained as part of Lady Sliver Senshi's 10000 Hits celebration. Hey, two Alielles have got to be better than one, right? Shayla-Shayla and Nanami might not agree...

Kalia was the big villain of the second El-Hazard OAV series, and pretty much embodied everything that was wrong with it. She was powerful, cruel, and bent on destroying the universe. In short, a shallow and uninspired villain for a shallow and uninspired anime. Still, she IS from El-Hazard, and so deserves a place in my collection. And I caught her first, besides!

I had to think long and hard before deciding that Pai was worth catching. When she first appears, Pai is, well, annoying. She speaks in pidgin Japanese, and acts in general like an airhead. Then, the Sanjiyan, her other personality makes an appearance, and almost makes her worthwhile. The Sanjiyan is arrogant, ruthless, powerful, and a general badass who's a pleasure to watch. But when Pai loses her memory - FINALLY she becomes all-around tolerable. No longer the clingy, helpless type, she's a Typical Japanese Schoolgirl who's willing to fight for what she wants. So, for the sake of the Sanjiyan, and for the fact that Pai isn't a totally lost cause, I decided to catch her!

Iria is strong, independent, and a pleasure to watch in action. Her personality is a tad bland, but all of the action really does make up for it. I was uncertain whether I really wanted to bother catching her, but in the end I decided, "Why not?"

Razzly's just so cute! ^_^ She's one of my favorite characters to use from Chrono Cross, partly because her magical attacks are so devastating, but mostly because of her cuteness. Anyway, I'm happy to have her in my collection.

Sabrina was the coolest Gym Leader Ash had to fight in the original League, back when the anime was still fresh and new. With spooky psychic abilities, a split personality, and a warped sense of "fun", it took a whole three-episode mini-arc to fully cover Ash's attempts to beat her. I'm glad to have finally caught her!

Let's see... We have an attractive high school girl, who wears a high school girl's uniform, totes around enough small, medium, and large arms to overthrow a small third-world nation, and drives a huge tank that she loves like a son. Rarely has the "cute girl with big guns" motif been so blatantly exploited. Still, intelligent and clever, Ritsuko managed to be her own person even while attracting hordes of drooling male fans to buy the videos. That, and the fact that she has the coolest red eyes since Lina Inverse, made her my favorite character from her show.

While I had many issues with the Final Fantasy movie, there was no denying that it featured the most beautiful use of computer graphics I'd ever seen. Aki Ross is a pretty typical heroine, but she deserves a place in my collection, if only for the fact that she's the first computer-generated character that has ever fooled me into thinking her picture was that of a real human being until I was halfway through reading the article that featured her.

If you've seen Project A-Ko, you know that it's the story of the rather senseless rivalry between two girls over "possession" of a third. (Hey, senseless is good - the LAST thing you want to do is take any of the Project A-Ko stories seriously.) Why anyone would want C-Ko is anybody's guess, but B-Ko does, and she's willing to take on A-Ko - the strongest, toughest high-school girl in the world - to get her. It's a battle of brain against brawn, and since B-Ko is a stuck-up jerk, the brain usually loses. Still, since I make it a point of supporting brains in most situations... Go B-Ko! Besides, she's MUCH better looking, in my opinion. ^_^

Hilda has got to be one of the strongest female characters in all of anime. Not in terms of literal strength (A-Ko is one of many examples that have her beaten there ^_^) but in terms of character. Hilda's a survivor, intelligent, brave, and resourceful. A true Outlaw (using the semi-noble connotations that the show gives the word). Who else could set a cocky young sharpshooter and his genius friend on the greatest adventure of their lives? Were she a real human, she'd definitely have my respect. But, since she isn't, the least I can do is catch her as a Bishoujo!

I seem to have caught two Outlaw Star Bishoujo in one sitting... I like Melfina, possibly even better than Hilda, if for completely different reasons. To tell the truth, I'm not completely sure what those reasons are (and it's not because she gets naked almost every episode, you hentais!). I suppose I was touched by her story - androids who want to become human usually do that for me. Anyway, I was quite pleased to make this catch.

Many people are annoyed by Qawoor Towles, and, I'll confess, I can see a lot in her to be annoyed by. She lacks a lot of self-confidence, and frequently ends up playing the damsel in distress. She's another person who seems to be competing in the "let's move in on Makoto now that the love of his life is gone" contest. When I saw her myself, though, I didn't think she seemed quite so bad as her traits would indicate. She genuinely cares about other people, and is rarely selfish or mean. Anyhow, while I'm more-or-less indifferent to her, she's still a character from El-Hazard, and so I caught her first!

I expected a lot from the guy who created the wonderful world of "The Slayers", and, frankly, I didn't think that Lost Universe measured up. There was exactly one character in the whole show that I liked, and that was Canal. She was handled well, I thought - no silly crush on her "master" Kane, or anything dumb like that, and she's ready and willing to give the other characters a piece of her mind. User friendly indeed. ^_^

Gilda's probably my favorite of the new characters introduced in "El-Hazard: The Alternative World". While her motivation, admittedly, stems from a desire to please a man who treats her like dirt, the fact remains that she's earned one of the highest positions available to anyone, and takes her job seriously. This is a lady you don't wanna mess with. Catch, yeah, but not mess with. And I caught her first!

Rikku's one of those spunky types of characters that I tend to like, and so it's no real surprise that I decided to capture her. She's the "speedy thief" character for Final Fantasy X (just about every Final Fantasy has one, it seems), and has a fun sort of personality. Not my favorite character in the game, but close to the top.

Yui is the Bishomon that I caught as part of Lady Silver Senshi's 175K hit celebration! She's not a character I'm familiar with. A bit of searching revealed that she's sort of a cyberspace heroine, fighting to save the world from an evil computer virus. Hey, anyone who bashes computer viruses is okay in my book!

Kuraya is the cool, if not particularly effective, assassin chosen by the Phantom Tribe to eliminate Makoto Mizuhara, the star of the show. Obviously, this is an assignment destined to end tragically for the assassin in question... Anyway, while her screen time was brief, she was nonetheless cool, and deserves a place here. And I caught her first!

Crayna-Crayna was the Great Priestess of Fire before Shayla-Shayla, and the woman who inspired her to take the job. She only gets about a total of three minutes of screentime, so she's not particularly developed as a character. Still, she had an important influence on Shayla-Shayla's life, and so deserves a place here. And I caught her first!

When AIC noticed how popular El-Hazard was, they decided to make a sequel. The only problem was, the original had done a pretty good job of putting Ifurita, possibly the most popular character, out of reach. The solution? Create another Ifurita! This Ifurita is another of the same model as the original Ifurita. She is pretty much identical in appearance and mannerisms to the first, but has her own history. All in all, she had the potential to be quite interesting... Perhaps if El-Hazard 2 had been longer, we could have seen her reach that potential. Anyway, I caught her first!

I caught this Mitsuki as part of Lady Silver Senshi's 300,000 hit celebration! She's actually the second Mitsuki I've caught, in spite of the fact that she appears first here in the Bishodex. She's a great Bishoujo, and one of the few saving graces of the show she came from.

Millie's a little orphan girl that we meet in a filler episode. She's largely there as an excuse to have Rune Venus and Makoto acting all cute and parental. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. ^_^ Anyway, little Millie has tons of 'tude, and red hair, so I'd say she's a shoo-in to be the next Great Priestess of Fire, should she want to. In any case, I caught her first!

Shiina's a very likable character, always cheerful, determined, and bursting with energy. She's the perfect contrast to the occasionally dark events that happen around her. I always enjoy reading about her adventures, and so I decided to catch her. And I was the first!

So, you've just kicked Mother Brain's 8-bit butt with this bad-ass bounty hunter who's been your companion throughout the game. The ending pops up, the bounty hunter removes his helmet - and it's not a 'him' at all! Samus was one of the earliest video game heroines, and was made especially cool by the fact that you didn't even KNOW she was a heroine until the end of the game! So throw all yer preconceived notions out the window, 'cause this is one video game babe who's never going to need a plumber to rescue her! Didn't stop me from catching her first, though!

The Zeta Project is a western cartoon, and so has been sanitized to the point where only a few parents could possibly complain about it. In spite of that, there seems to be a very creative mind behind the show, and it's actually quite enjoyable to watch. Ro is one of the things that make it most enjoyable. Her cynical, streetwise ways are a perfect counterpoint to Zeta's unflinching optimism and naivete. But unlike some instances of this sort, Ro's not always right - sometimes the optimistic view IS the right one. Anyway, as the coolest teenager in American animation right now, I had to catch her. Aren't I lucky to be the first to do so?

The 1000th Bishoujo! Dual's one of those shows that starts out fabulous, but flops at the end. Still, Mitsuki Sanada is, in my opinion, one of the prettiest anime girls around, and she has a neat personality, besides. So, as one of the few saving graces of a show that could stand a lot of improvement, I had to be the first to catch her!

Such a delightfully evil little girl! Sara's mischievous antics never cease to amuse me. Admittedly, this could easily have been overdone, to the point where one is just sick of her. But the fact that she gets caught and punished every now and then keeps her from becoming stale. And that enormous evil grin she wears so often is just so cute!

Hellsing is a show that simply oozes style, through-and-through. Seras is probably the most normal member of the cast, in spite of the fact that she's a freshly turned vampire. While there were times that her attitude made me cringe, there were also times that she was very, very cool. So, I'm not ashamed to have caught her first!

Poor Ryoga... Monstrously strong, and with a heart of glass. It's tough not to feel sorry for the guy. Just like everyone else on the show, he's been saddled with a whole host of character flaws. While he's still my favorite Ranma male, I don't like him as much as I used to - I'm starting to get headaches from pounding my head against a wall every time he does something boneheadded. Still, he deserves a place here.

The best character in the whole freaking game. HE should have been the star, rather than that insensitive introvert Squall. There wasn't a moment that I didn't love watching him fumble around in his lovable way, trying to do the right thing, but being forced through tragedy after tragedy. Still, he never gave up, and the world was a better place for it. Another example of a good heart being preferable to a good mind.

Masamichi Fujisawa, the humble High School teacher destined to become the mighty Fist of Justice! Fujisawa Kick! ^_^ Mr. Fujisawa is simply a hilarious character, and embodies the fancy that every ordinary schmoe has about becoming a superhero, while still remaining lovable. How could he not be my favorite male character from El-Hazard?

Makoto is probably my favorite example of that anime stereotype where you have one clueless guy surrounded by exotic girls who want to have his baby. For one thing, he actually PICKS one (even if he was still too clueless to ever notice that any of the others were after him at all), and the romance that resulted was one of the most touching I've seen in any anime (the OAV version, at least).

I'm still in the midst of watching Trigun, but Vash is already a favorite. An ace gunman with a mysterious past and an enormous bounty on his head - who seems to be a clumsy doofus with an awkward womanizing streak that never seems to impress anyone. And yet, when danger rears its head, he always manages to win - and never takes his opponent's life. Vash is a man of conflicting personalities, to say the least.

It boggles the mind that a man could be so cold and ruthless. And THIS is the guy we're relying on to save the human race! O_o Just about everything that Gendo does in the entire series is deplorable, and yet, it's...entertaining to see what depths he'll sink to next. I can't help it. I like watching him. I must be sick. I must!

The fact that his real name is Hyuuga Ricdeau should be your first clue that this is a man of many layers. There's pretty much nothing about Citan that isn't cool. Towards the beginning of the game, he's got the coolest martial arts moves of any of the characters. Then he gets a sword, and becomes even cooler. At a given level, he's almost always stronger, tougher, and faster than any of the other characters. He knows pretty much everything worth knowing, and seems to be on a first-name basis with nearly all the characters in the game. Is it any wonder I had to have him?

Ah, dark, brooding Magus. His is the most well-developed story of any of the characters in Chrono Trigger. From his tragic past, to his uncertain future, he always remains the same ruthless, determined Shadow sorcerer. You can't help but to like him, in spite of himself.

Reeve was the sole voice of reason among the diabolical upper management of Shinra, the corporation responsible for pretty much all of the devastation afflicting the world. He's also the brain behind that zany robot cat / stuffed moogle combo Cait Sith, probably the weirdest character to hit a Final Fantasy game up to that point. It was interesting to watch Reeve wrestle with his ethical limits as the game progressed - especially knowing that, in a way, he was also in your party the whole time.

With his perfect hair, confident attitude, and ever-present knowing grin, Gai Daigouji is the archetypical anime hero. Of course, this is exactly his aim - Gai, in addition to being a mecha pilot himself, is an enormous anime fan, and has modeled his life after his favorite anime hero. Born Jiro Yamada (just about as bland a Japanese name as they come), Gai pretty much lives in his own little world. But it's a happy one. ^_^ Gai holds my vote as best male character on Martian Successor Nadesico.

You have no idea how refreshing Jim was to me when I saw Outlaw Star. Finally, a anime with a Kid Sidekick who isn't incredibly annoying! He isn't rude, or egotistical, and neither is he overly polite, or too nice. He is a prodigy when it comes to computers, but that fact isn't constantly shoved into your face - it was more in the background. He's more of a kid brother with a knack, rather than some annoying or superhuman twerp. He's welcome in my collection!

Why Riff? Hmm... Let me check my notes...

Katsuhiko Jinnai - a legend in his own mind... This is the poster child for evil, here. At least, if evil was as ludicrously transparent as Jinnai seems to be. Definitely not your standard evil warlord, as much as he might aspire to be. And I caught him first!

Chattur'gah, Ancient of Badass. This Ancient embodies raw, physical strength. He deals with his foes by tearing them apart. In spite of his luggish nature, however, he's actually reasonably intelligent, and knows not to underestimate his opponents. And, in spite of his eldritch power, I caught him first!

Xel'lotath, Ancient of Messed-Up. Xel'lotath's scenario was probably the most fun to play in the game, because it's easy to let your sanity rating slip low, resulting in all kinds of funky, low- sanity effects. Xel'lotath herself, as the avatar of Insanity, is amusing, as well, in the way that she speaks with two voices - who don't always agree. I'd have to have been insane not to catch her first!

Ulyoth, Ancient of Smarty-Pants. Ulyoth is amusing in that he's so droll about everything. Knowing all the secrets of the universe, he's sick and tired of, well, pretty much everything, and is evil largely because he's looking for a way to cope with his monumental boredom. It's fun to watch the almost casual and disinterested way that he dissects his opponents. I caught him first!

Mantorok, Ancient of Screwups. Ah, poor Mantorok. What's a big, pulsating mass of mouths and eyeballs to do, when the kids he's been babysitting pin him to the ground with a bunch of enchanted stakes? Why, convince them all to kill each other, of course! Mantorok, the shadowy manipulator, is the one ultimately responsible for the defeat of the other Ancients. His strategy is so darkly ruthless and clever, that you gotta respect him. Still, his cleverness didn't stop me from catching him first!

I wasn't expecting to have to battle a non-anime Bishoujo for a badge, in spite of the fact that there are many non-anime Bishoujo around. Fortunately, Gargoyles is a show with which I am quite familiar, and the first badge was easy.

I've been all over Slayers fandom, and so defeating Filia was no problem, even given that Filia is one of the characters I am least familiar with.

Luck, pure and simple, won me this badge. It was a tough battle, involving an anime with which I was almost totally unfamiliar, and yet I was able to pull through. And it wouldn't even prove to be my hardest fight...

I eat, breathe, and sleep El-Hazard. Shayla might have just as well handed her badge over without a fight.

While no expert, I was pretty familiar with Fuu, and she didn't prove to be too challenging. She did have a few surprises for me, but I was able to overcome them.

I was starting to enter unfamiliar territory, here - Saber Marionette J was something with which I was only passingly familiar. I did know enough, however, and after a brief but intense struggle, the badge was mine.

Here was my first dip into the completely unknown. With no experience, I had no strategy prepared for when I met Sayaka. I had to train hard to win this fight, and it was still a close match. But it was nothing compared with what was to follow...

I hadn't a prayer of defeating this Bishoujo on the first try, and it took many, many attempts to succeed. Her strategy was, simply put, devastating, and I had to learn much before I was finally able to defeat her. Finally, after a particularly long and grueling fight, Sakura fell to my skill. The pain was worth it in the end, however, as I earned the Earth Badge and the title of Master Bishoujo Trainer!

This first step in the second round of gym challenges was enough to let me know that this wasn't gonna be a cakewalk. I was in totally unfamiliar territory, and I had to scrape for every bit of the knowledge I needed to win. Still, I DID win eventually, and so the Angel Badge is mine!

This was a little easier - I had, at least, HEARD of Maze, and so was able to come up with a decent strategy. It still took some time, but in the end Maze fell.

Ah, Minnie-May Hopkins... I'd heard of her in many places, but it took this humbling battle to let me realize exactly how little I actually knew her. Still, even after numerous surprises, I managed to pull through and win.

As a fervent follower of Trigun, I didn't expect Meryl to be nearly the challenge she was. That'll teach me to underestimate "Derringer" Meryl... This was probably my second toughest battle, ranked after ChaCha. I'm glad I don't have to go through THAT again.

Even though she's one of the... er... classic characters of anime, my knowledge of her was quite limited - fortunately, I was able to find the training I needed to beat her in a number of places. It was still a nasty battle, but victory was mine!

Defeating Aoi required quite a bit of guesswork. Her strategies were totally unfamiliar - but they were also fairly simplistic, and it quickly became easy to read her. In spite of the fact that I'd never heard of this fighter, I defeated her fairly quickly.

Who hasn't heard of the infamous Dirty Pair? And yet, the Yuri of Dirty Pair Flash is a very different customer than the original Yuri of old. It was a quick, but very intense battle that followed, and I needed to access all my resources in order to beat her.

Wai! It was comforting to see a familiar character when I walked into the final Gym. Ironically enough, the final Gym was also the easiest. I knew a lot about cute little Mink, and though she was a ferocious fighter, winning the Dragon Badge was a breeze. The title of Grand-Master Bishoujo Trainer is MINE!!!

After the challenge that the second round of gyms has provided me, I dreaded to think of what the Mega-Grand-Master Gym Challenge would have in store for me. I wasn't disappointed. Only one of the Gym Leaders was from something I'd actually seen, and Karin Aoi was not her. I was out of my depth, but in the end, I managed to gather what I needed to pull through...

This Gym Leader was to prove to be my only real respite. It was almost a shame that it had to come so soon... Anyway, being somewhat familiar with Kino's tactics, I won fairly easily.

Ergh... Between ChaCha and Himeko, I have learned to fear young shoujo heroines... This battle was excruciatingly tough, but fortunately, I stumbled upon an advisor who told me exactly what I needed to know to win.

I'd heard of Gunbuster, but it was largely unknown territory. With dogged persistence, I managed to pull through, but Noriko did have a few moves that kept me guessing.

This was definitely the most satisfying fight of the entire lot. Rin was tough and skillful, and in studying to defeat her, I came to realize that I wanted to know even more about "Blade of the Immortal" than what it took to beat her.

The difficulty I suffered in solving the Mystery Gym stemmed from my own lack of foresight. I had deliberately stunted my knowledge of Sheeta and her background in order to be surprised... I paid for that, here. Still, I managed to win, somehow.

Mamotte Whosit? I knew I was in trouble when this was the first thought to pass through my mind upon seeing this Gym. I was in totally alien territory, and the grueling ordeal of the fight was not unexpected. It took time, but I finally did win.

Once again, the eighth Gym was something of an anti-climax. While Battle Arena Toshinden was not a game I was familiar with, it is, in fact, a very popular fighting game, and there was no shortage of information regarding its characters. Sofia, in particular, had a wealth of information devoted to her, and I found all the strategy that I needed in just one place. And so, with her defeat, I became a Mega-Grand-Master Bishoujo Trainer!

While my knowledge of my first opponent in the fourth round of Gym Challenges was rather limited, I found that Jessie was not too difficult a challenge. She only had one unexpected attack, and it was one that I'd seen before. With an easy introductory battle like this, I had to wonder if I was being lulled into a false sense of security...

Cute little Misaki provided a much greater challenge, with a battle strategy that was not overwhelming, but solid enough - and with enough misdirection to keep me guessing. In the end, though, my steady persistence, and the sudden realization that her strategy wasn't as unfamiliar as I first assumed, won the day.

Poor Millie never seems to get a break, and the case wasn't any different here. If she's ever going to become Number One in the Universe, it won't be as a Gym Leader. Her strategy was basic in the extreme, and I was able to overwhelm her in no time.

In what would turn out to be the most devastatingly challenging match of the Supreme Grand Master League, it didn't help at all that I initially underestimated Rio so drastically. Her initial strike was so unexpected, that it kept me reeling throughout the rest of the fight. I had to claw tooth-and-nail for every inch, and Rio made certain that I paid for the Moonlit Badge with blood...

Key was a welcome change after the last gym. She was a tricky fighter, but I was advantaged by the fact that I had studied her technique long before I ever dreamed I might have to face her in a Gym Battle. I was able to read almost her every move, and was able to overcome her even more quickly than I had Millie.

Doll Licca was the only fighter in this tournament who was completely unfamiliar to me. However, with the help of the same advisor who had helped me so often in the past, I was able to counter her more effective attacks. Eventually, the day was mine.

I had barely heard of Elle's reputation, but it was enough to get me nervous. Fortunately, her attacks weren't quite as powerful as I had anticipated - it's always nice to overestimate an opponent for a change. It was no cakewalk, but Elle was defeated in fairly short order.

The final battle of the Supreme Grand Master Tournament was worthy indeed. In spite of her unassuming appearance, Sara was able to maintain a rock solid defense. I couldn't get a single edge on her, and hope looked bleak indeed. Just as I was about to call it quits, and retire for more training (not a very appealing prospect, so close to ultimate victory), I discovered a chink in her metaphorical armor. Suddenly she was wide open. A sudden blitz of attacks was all it took at that point, and the title of Supreme Grand Master was finally mine!

Mirai provided what was easily the most grueling and exhausting fight of any of the Bishoujo I'd challenged thus far. It was not what I had expected - she was quite widely known, and so I thought that her strategy would be widely known, as well. It was not to be. Her offense was fast, and terrifyingly unpredictable, and her defense was rock-solid. I finally managed to break her down - only to discover to my horror that the battle had barely begun. I had neglected to read the Indigo Plateau rules carefully, and so was unaware that Indigo battles lasted for four rounds, instead of the traditional one round. I thought my head was going to explode from frustration. Still, I somehow managed to find it within me to last the remaining three rounds, making the Wind Badge the hardest earned badge to date.

After being slapped around so thoroughly by Mirai, I dreaded to think what the next gym would have in store. Angelina (an Actress-type Bishoujo - I'd not expected to fight one of those) did provide a challenge, but one not nearly so brutal as the master of the Wind Gym. Her attacks were smooth and flawless, but I was able to counter them with reasonable ease. The four rounds did not seem quite so insurmountable a challenge, this time.

When I learned that Kyleen would be my next opponent, I had the horrible feeling that it would be a repeat of the Wind Gym fiasco. Like Mirai, information on her strategy was sparse. Unlike Mirai, however, I managed to find a single, comprehensive discourse on her techniques. When I finally challenged her, I was treated to a barrage of attacks just as brutal as I expected - however, this time, I was ready. It was a tough battle, but it did not tax me to my limits.

As a lover of dubbed anime, my knowledge of Japanese Seiyuu-type Bishomon was frighteningly limited. Were it not for the help of the master advisor who had aided me through so many of the previous Gyms, I would not have stood a chance. As it turned out, his knowledge of this Bishoujo was vast, and he trained me so completely that the final battle was, in the end, very easy - especially since Kotono seemed to be overconfident, and launched an extremely predictable series of attacks. It hardly seemed that the fight had begun, when I was the victor, and Champion of the Bishoujo League!