Welcome to Gaia! ::

First off, the link here has the video I mentioned in the essay-
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/ir/jo/cd/31284-top-20-deliciously-evil-anime-villains

Since the top is especially about Anime Villians and me getting into their minds and saying what I agreed or disagreed with about the video, I decided to post it in this forum. smile It is really long though (both the video and my essay.

Reasons I did this is because I wanted to look into some character's minds (mainly looking up Johan Liebert as I thought about drawing or writing about him or using his character as inspiration for one of mine).

Essay-

So I was watching the Top 20 Anime Villains list video and here are my opinions and takes on the characters as well as talking about the human mind as they bring it up. I am only going to talk about explain the characters and series that I know. The video is also extremely long and I doubt most people will be able to sit down and watch the whole (my goodness, some shows like Slayers have pretty horrendous dubbing). The purpose of this is to do my own research, which will help me with my niche when it comes to writing and character develop, exploring the human mind. The as well as the body is extremely complex.

First things first, there is a different between a psychopath and sociopath. All serial kills and rapists (the ones that repeat the crimes) fall under the category of psychopaths. Sociopaths don’t like being around others, but they are necessarily killers or criminals, though some are. Learning the difference is important when it comes to understanding characters as well as the psyche of people in general.

A sociopath is one who is more anti-social and have normal temperaments (not really violent), whereas a psychopath is a person with an antisocial personality disorder, manifested in aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior without empathy or remorse. They are the ones that are more likely to do violent criminal activity against even their own friends and family and have no guilt about it.

First up Vicious from Cowboy Bebop. He would be considered a true psychopath. His cold hearted and power hungry nature allows him to rid of people that would that gets in his way or oppose him. Since I hadn’t watched it in a while, I won’t go into details for this character. I am only going by memory here. Many people see it as a classic; I found it alright but far from my list of favorites though.

Akito from Fruits Basket issues comes from her mother basically and their hatred towards one another. Her mother Ren raised her as a boy (I think it has to do with the previous “gods” or head of the members/family were male and are expected to be as such and females shouldn’t be the head of the family according Ren’s, Akito’s mother’s belief and was jealous of close Akira was to her father Akira before his death if I remember correctly, was the reason why Akito was disguised and raised as a boy). Akito seems to have jealousy issues, which part of why she lashes out on others when it comes to love and relations, especially when they chose them over her or go against her wishes as defy her as she see herself as the God of the members of the zodiac/curse.

In the anime, Akito is completely a man as the anime was made before that was revealed and a lot of the characters and situations are left out or changed a bit, so it doesn't explain the reasons behinds Akito's actions as well, which is important to her character and act of violence and outburst she had towards some of the members of the family as well as to Tohru and especially Kana. Akito kicked Shigure out because he slept with her mother Ren and was in love with Kureno but that gets complicated when he meets Arisa. I big reason was that she was afraid that they would leave her. Akito wasn’t on this list, but people brought her up on other lists while I was doing research on Johan (Kira was also brought up, but I’ll get to Light/Kira in a moment).

In Akito’s case, she (or he in the anime) isn’t a true psychopath and actually starts changing slowly, Who can actually sympathize with her character. I don’t really see her as a villain or evil, heartless and cruel at times yes, but also a victim to her mother’s psychological abuse. Cycles of abuse are hard to break.

I never saw Baccano, but that Ladd Russo seems to fit the bill of a psychopath judging what I saw from the video. Many are sadist, they like the power and control they have over others. Though he isn’t as intelligent, cunning or charming like many others though. Many fake that charm and emotions in order to blend in and rise to the top and use it to lie and manipulate people.

Next up is Kira/Light. Ah Kira. How first I have to say that Light is basically a different person as Kira, mainly because I believe that the Death Note does many things to one’s mind and goes back to the whole “Absolute power brings absolute corruption.”

Now Light is a charming fellow and quite intelligent. Without his memories of the death note, he is a good man who is just sickened by the evilness of people in the world and the failed justice system at times. He was terrified by the death note at first and when he first picked it up, he didn’t even believe it and only tested out due to curiosity when he saw a girl in trouble. At first he did have his heart in the right place but when about it in the wrong way and raised many questions, such as “Do some people deserve die?” and “Do we take matters in our own hands when the justice system fails us?” but he quickly killed criminals over petty stuff or just on trial, which some may have been innocent in theory and moved on to people that opposed him/tried to stop, starting with Raye Penber, who was investigating him (well Misa helped with that) and started to develop a god complex.

I have to say, I love his dramatic potato chip scene and that crazy laugh he does at the end, squeak and all (seriously, he squeaks during the dub version of that laugh). I disagree with the not selfish need but boredom comment that they made in the video as though Light’s boredom and curiosity caused him to pick up the note book and test it out, it was his own selfish needs and that control he got with it that allowed him to continue instead of stopping. That I would be the evilest person in the world as I am often bored and curious, hence why I am writing an essay. Well that and it is a hobby of mine. Don’t worry, I am not really bad. wink

Here are videos of the famous scenes-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC6T3_O2iWc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd7fHOCcGnE

I also disagree with them on another part as the death note is the instrument that corrupted him and caused him to change. Ryuuk even warned him about it and how people that haunted by Shinigami have nothing but misfortune and people can’t seem to take it. He wasn’t the same person as he was before he started using it and changed back to who he was when his memories were temporarily erased when is gave up the note book for a short while.

I love how Johan Liebert was number one on the list and I can completely agree with that. If you have seen the series, you will know why. The series bring my love of medical cases/drama due to the main character being a neurosurgeon and treats people everywhere he does and psychological thrillers all in one. Probably why it is one of my all-time favorite series.
The series also brings up some questions dealing with morals like Death Note did. Such as “Are people really all equal?” which caused Dr. Tenma to choose to save a life of a young boy instead of the rich mayor who donates money to the hospital. Also brings up the same question about the justice system and taking matters into our own hands as Tenma goes after Johan, feeling guilty about saving a “monster” and being blamed for the killings himself. Johan even told him that he was supposed to have died that night after Nina shot him in the head but Tenma resurrected him.

Even at a young age, Johan manipulated a whole orphanage to kill each other with just words alone. That is clearing a sign of a psychopath. He is often charming and seemingly polite. He knows he knows he has a split personality and that he can’t control the “monster” within him, which is why part of him wanted to die.

He kills in cold blood, having no problems or guilt about it with that split personality of his. He even disguised himself as is sister Ana/Nina and taken her identity at one point, causing her to be confused as to why everyone in that town knows her already when she just arrived. He never leaves evidence and the clues he leaves are messages for Dr. Tenma and Nina mostly. He plays and toys with people and their emotions.

His goal is to be the last one standing, either by killing people or having others to kill each other or themselves yet the other part wants it to die and keeps saying how the monster inside keeps growing bigger and bigger. That part comes from a children’s book he read, The Nameless Monster. Though he does taunts people to try and kill him, there is a deeper meaning to it and his complex character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnQA-1qlgI4

He had a lot of difficulties in his life and the orphanage’s experiments and trying to create the perfect soldiers didn’t him in any.

A truly classic series, I can't recommend it enough if you are looking for a good psychological thrill or just a good story/series in general.

LOL this isn't for school, just a quick essay I wrote out of boredom and to look into the minds of characters (mainly pointing out misused terms). My real essay for school is about CAH or Congenial Adrenal Hyperplasia and will be better written as I need a good grade for it.