Actually, though I haven't followed the D.Gray-man manga closely, Rinali does get a powerup later in the series that stems from her willpower and desire to fight, which leads to her doing something that no one has tried before - and having the heart to make it work (or in canon terms, getting her feelings across to/accepted by her Innocence). With the powerup, she then takes down a monster with Allen. I didn't follow the series enough to know what the followup on this was, or to know if it's ever shown how, post-powerup, she measures up against the boys, but it's one female example?
Also, I'm curious, but have you followed the recent developments in Kekkaishi? Because there's also Yoshimori's mother, who's shown to be immensely powerful (though where exactly she falls on the good/evil spectrum is still slightly ambiguous), as well as several other recently-appearing secondary female characters who are shown to be just as powerful as the guys. Interestingly, they're mostly older women (though in Tokine's grandmother's case, she has been hinted as being equally powerful in her youth). Tokine's also developed a pretty cool power lately, but how that's going to play out is still in progress, so I can't really say.
Your points are depressingly valid across the genre though. I would give SO MUCH to see a female example of "overwhelming power that the heroine then must learn to master/control", as opposed to male.
no subject
Date: 1 Nov 2010 08:56 am (UTC)Also, I'm curious, but have you followed the recent developments in Kekkaishi? Because there's also Yoshimori's mother, who's shown to be immensely powerful (though where exactly she falls on the good/evil spectrum is still slightly ambiguous), as well as several other recently-appearing secondary female characters who are shown to be just as powerful as the guys. Interestingly, they're mostly older women (though in Tokine's grandmother's case, she has been hinted as being equally powerful in her youth). Tokine's also developed a pretty cool power lately, but how that's going to play out is still in progress, so I can't really say.
Your points are depressingly valid across the genre though. I would give SO MUCH to see a female example of "overwhelming power that the heroine then must learn to master/control", as opposed to male.