Generation: eternal loser clutch (the Shinriji)

Today's entry will be a bit more light hearted. As the inspiration for the concept, I turn to one of my favorite characters (ok you got me, they're all my favorite) from Samura's Mugen No Junen, Shinriji of the Mugai-ryu. I don't want to spoil too much for you if you haven't read it, but Shinriji was a poor man, a thief, and a sort of reluctant assassin-operative. I'll cut the comparisons here though.

I sometimes get a little bit too worked up about the competence of a character. After all, in dangerous settings, it behooves people to be as skillful, as well equipped, and able to make as intelligent and strategic decisions as possible, right? That's the justification I use anyway; playing through intentional failure never appealed to me. So the Shinriji is an attempt to get the best of both worlds. Fundamentally, he is a loser. Born into poverty, given the short end of the stick through his development, and run afoul of the wrong authorities the first time he tried to buck up against the system. This is ultimately what establishes his current role, one he seems unsuited for. And, really, he is. The Shinriji is not particularly skillful, he doesn't appear very brave, he's fairly ignorant, and he is prone to making decisions based on his heart when his head should be in control, and vice versa.

And yet...the Shinriji has a wealth of talent and competence, it is just lurking underneath the surface. When a more clever character asks him a question, he is likely to give a foolish answer. But when the chips are down, the Shinriji displays a mighty depth of knowhow, the kind you wouldn't expect. He picks out the one folksy piece of information the other, smarter characters wouldn't have considered. He executes the successful, sudden ambush where the stronger, more blustery characters failed. He's never the group leader (except in extrodinary circumstances), but he's always got their back, and routinely will prepare redundant contingenies just in case something goes wrong (of course he will never tell anyone about it before hand). Needless to say, he is at his strongest when expectations of him are at their lowest.

Of course, when he does come through in the clutch, the Shinriji is just as surprised when he succeeds as everyone else is...

Props to Blade a Lamina do Imortal - Cap. 139: visita, parte 3 for being the only site I could find that had a pic of Shinriji (bonus: Hyakurin!) Obrigado!