Underrated Female Heroes Tag (Original)

Hey, welcome to another original tag created by yours truly!

This is just a way to appreciate some favorite female characters, some of whom deserve more credit and popularity than they get.

Rules:

• Please PINGBACK to me at Kate @ Melting Pots and Other Calamities. Or just Kate. And PINGBACK TO A SPECIFIC POST OF MINE.  I won’t see the post otherwise, and I’d like to see it.
• Answer the questions.
• Choose female characters from books, movies, TV, anime, Webtoons, etc.
• Tag as many people as you want, but at least one person.
• Have fun!

Questions:

1. Name a heroine you like, but whom you feel is always overshadowed by the male characters in the story:

Nina from Monster. Like, I get that she has less screen time than Tenma, but she does have more than Johan, and yet both characters are much more popular than her, despite that she’s given just as much of a vigorous psychological journey as they are; maybe more so.

2. For that matter, name a heroine whom you feel is always overshadowed by the other female characters in the story:

Sophie from The Infernal Devices. I know she isn’t as badass as Tessa or Charlotte, but being a human within a group of emotionally messed up Shadowhunters can’t be easy. Especially seeing as she has her own issues and problems to deal with. Plus, she’s so sweet.

3. Name a character who had potential but was greatly underutilized in her story.

Naomi Misora from Death Note. She was literally killed off for being too smart, which would’ve made the story end too soon. That annoys me; I read she was one of the few whom L trusted. At least she was the main character in a prequel novel. Which made me more annoyed she died.

4. Name a female character who you either find better in her book than her movie, find better in her movie than her book, or whose portrayals you find equal:

Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs. I know she isn’t underrated, but she just fit the question too well. In some ways though, I think her book form is underrated. I know so many people who have seen the movie, but only a few who have read the book. Anyway, I feel like the book had some aspects of her character that were done better (her inner sass and snark for one, I will never get over her names for Chilton) but I feel like Jodie Foster expressed her emotions and feelings better. So I find both portrayals equal.

5. Name a character who you want more backstory on:

Either Emai from Nightmare Factory (What a cliffhanger…I need to know her backstory and her true identity…)

Or Winter from Rise From Ashes.

6. Name a character with traits you feel are sadly overlooked by everyone:

I know she isn’t underrated, but I feel like everyone always focuses on how kind and folksy Marge from Fargo is (and she’s even on my next list for that reason) and while that trait should not be overlooked at all, I think people forget how intelligent she is and that she’s an excellent shot with her gun.

7. Name a morally grey character. (Villain or anti hero!)

Root and Shaw from Person of Interest. I mean, you have one character who was one heck of a creepy villain and then had an amazing redemption story (for lack of a better word) and an ex-CIA agent who’s small but can take out an entire room of men, and is probably sociopathic but has a soft side to her.

8. A character you’re stunned isn’t more famous:

Lisa Reisert from Red Eye. It’s not the greatest thriller ever, but it’s fun, and has stand out performances from the two leads. Lisa is also a great protagonist; I can’t give too much away, but she starts off as quiet and a loner, but she has an iron core, is intelligent, and has a defiant streak. She’s recovering from something, and is emotionally and psychologically tortured by a near consulting criminal, yet has common sense and fights back.

9. A character from a piece of fiction you’re amazed isn’t more famous

Susy From Wait Until Dark. I don’t get why this isn’t a famous movie. Not only was it progressive for its time (maybe even more progressive than some movies now; how many films have a blind woman MC in a thriller?) but Susy was blind and used that to her advantage, as well as her opponents low expectations of her. She foughtback so well because of her blindness, not despite it, which I think is an incredibly big distinction to make.

I’d say the same thing about Holly from Mr. Mercedes. She’s a middle aged woman who is practically confirmed as having autism, (I read she was described as being Asperger’s like in the second book) plus a dose of anxiety and neuroticism. But she proves to be tougher than she seems, and is an invaluable asset to the team. Maybe it’s because I’m on the spectrum myself, but I related to her a lot and was glad to have an autistic woman portrayed so positively.

I Tag:

Mandy @ Book Princess Reviews

Angelica Destler @ Dreaming of Fiction

The Orangutan Librarian

Rendz @ Reading with Rendz

Icebreaker @ Icebreaker694