20th Anniversary = 20 questions (Day 11 / 21)
FEB 11: FAVOURITE CHOSEN CHILDREN FRIENDSHIP
I don’t even know where to start, so I’m just going to name a few highlights. Justice for all the underrated duos!!!!!
One of the most important friendships in the series — do not underestimate how unusual the portrayal of their friendship is!
Adventure started out with only two female characters, whose personalities seemed to be very different. Mimi and Sora, who exemplify different versions of girlhood, had the unenviable task of representing all girlhood, meaning that girls watching the series would have to decide if they identified with either one or the other (while boys had more choices). Do you realize how easy it would have been to pit Sora and Mimi against each other, to make them rivals or competitors? Especially when one of the character’s arc is about rejecting traditional femininity, and the other starts out as the most girly girl imaginable?
Instead, Sora and Mimi’s relationship is shown as nothing but mutually supportive and wholesome. They don’t judge each other. They aren’t jealous of each other’s talents. They don’t compete for attention or (god forbid) boys. Sora (being older) has a more protective/maternal attitude towards with Mimi, helping her to become a better person, while Mimi is very good at guiding Sora to the right place and making her have fun. As they grow up, they just become trusted friends. They understand each other really well and treat each other with so much kindness and love, and bring out the best in each other. Later, Hikari, Miyako, and Meiko are seamlessly integrated into this sisterhood. UGH, this show is so freaking good at female friendships in general.
(Side Note: When I googled “Sora and Mimi” to find a picture of them, the first result was from a reddit thread titled “Who is better? MIMI or SORA”. Interesting, isn’t it? Just to show how important the nature of this friendship is, and how it flew over so many peoples heads).
I wrote about it (*looks at the date*) FIVE FREAKING YEARS AGO 💀
tri. didn’t really give us much more material, sadly (though Yamato’s reaction to Jou’s conflict in Chapter 2 would be a fascinating topic of analysis).
Another relationship between “The Only Girls of the Group” that is handled a very compelling way, and quite differently from Sora and Mimi’s friendship.
02 doesn’t assume that Hikari and Miyako would flock together and be instant BFFs just because they happen to be girls. Yes, girls can feel solidarity and connection between them, but two girls won’t automatically get along, especially when their personalities are different.
I like that the Jogress connection wasn’t instantaneous, I like that takes time for them to understand their different approaches and personality, so different from their own, and from then on they form a strong partnership. Hikari is never unkind or dismissive of Miyako’s mistakes, and her calmness and gentleness inspire and touch Miyako; Miyako may be the only person who doesn’t handle Hikari with kids’ gloves all the time, and yet she still positions herself as Hikari’s rock, giving her the confidence to be independent and strong. One can only imagine how much of Hikari’s problems in tri. would have been avoided if Miyako was around.
One of the biggest blessings tri. gave us. This is why Adventure universe is so fun — pick literally any two characters who haven’t interacted much before, and just throw them together. The result will always be great, even (and particularly?) if we are talking about “opposite” personalities.
tri. did make it seem like the most natural friendship in the world. Why wouldn’t these two nerds hang out and be problematic together??? Their mutual taste in clothes alone will keep things fun for many years to come. Spin-off, please.
These two are more quiet and reserved members of the group, so their dynamic always felt very unique and fascinating in 02. The growth of of their relationship, from deep distrust, to cautious distance, to reluctant respect, to total acceptance, is beautifully played. And you can just tell these two would have so many interests in common (including in their work). I hope they get more screen time!
