[Zensunni]

GAR - the shounen equivalent of "moe." It means a strong, stoic male figure who other males want to be like. It does not necessarily imply sexual attraction, simply envy, as in "Wow, I wish I was as cool as him." Examples of GAR characters include Archer from Fate, Captain Harlock, and Guts from Berserk. GAR figures are almost wholly male; however, just as there are moe pretty boys, there are GAR tough girls, such as Levy and Balalaika from Black Lagoon. In general, shoujo-style bishounen (Akio Ohtori), psychotics (Barry the Chopper), and indecisive wusses (Shinji Ikari) cannot be GAR.

The question: who among the Tsunami Channel cast do you think counts as GAR? Laika's Dad comes to mind. Also, how do you think the comic would have turned out differently had it included more GAR-ness?

[Jarlath]

About the ONLY one who might count would probably be Fuuka's fiance Jung, since everyone else so far as been 'normal' (Haruna's dad in normal mode), bishie (Konstantin, Juniichi, the Professor), effeminate (Alex, Onii-chan, Mamoru), or just.. well, in flashbacks and without any real exposure to their personalities, actions, or character designs (OC's dad, any male background characteR).

Remember, this isn't a strip about the BOYS... it's practically a harem story, which makes Onii-chan the only real male main character; everyone else around him has to be either bishie or out of the running. ;)

[Mystic Ryo]

Fuuka's pretty Gar, actually. =P

[sfried]

There's no doubt that Fuuka's father is absolutely badass manly, and it shows with his daughter.

[animefanrk2k]

I'd say Jung would be more normal than GAR. I think we can be GAR for Fuuka's dad or Fuuka herself. XD

[topleka]

Mina's father is GAR. The end.

[sfried]

To better explain the concept of GAR: If moé woud be the affection you have for protecting your innocent little sister, then GAR would be the feelings of admiration you have towards your aniki/older badass brother. (i.e. You want to be like him.) These examples are usually over-the-top amounts of badass, like laughing at the face of death, not regreting actions, and so forth. But there are also GAR characters who aren't like that: GAR people aren't necessarily invincible nor cold-hearted, but they know how to overcome their weaknesses. (Like most Tomino protagonists, they develop to become better, stronger leaders.) But for the best examples, one need only to look at Hokuto no Ken to see what GAR means... (As the series shows, beefcake body builds do not automatically equate to GAR. And unlike moé, which is dependent on asthetics/looks, GAR has alot more to do with what a character does then what he/she is)

But Zensunni summed it up quite well. :)

[Jarlath]

To better explain the concept of GAR: If moé woud be the affection you have for protecting your innocent little sister, then GAR would be the feelings of admiration you have towards your aniki/older badass brother. (i.e. You want to be like him.) These examples are usually over-the-top amounts of badass, like laughing at the face of death, not regreting actions, and so forth. But there are also GAR characters who aren't like that: GAR people aren't necessarily invincible nor cold-hearted, but they know how to overcome their weaknesses. (Like most Tomino protagonists, they develop to become better, stronger leaders.) But for the best examples, one need only to look at Hokuto no Ken to see what GAR means... (As the series shows, beefcake body builds do not automatically equate to GAR. And unlike moé, which is dependent on asthetics/looks, GAR has alot more to do with what a character does then what he/she is)

But Zensunni summed it up quite well. :)

GAR may be action-based or personality-based, but the point still stands; most of the male cast is NOT GAR by any means; Onii-chan's stands are few and infrequent, and he isn't really someone that any sane person wants to emulate, except perhaps for the Love Simulation Syndrome (and that only if you're really desperate). Konstantin ditto, and doubly so for the Professor. We haven't seen Laika's dad do anything, and Jung in the past was probably pretty good but now? Well, we don't get to see much of him either. Nobody in this cast is really GAR-able, perhaps not even Fuuka, skilled as she might be otherwise.

[sfried]

GAR may be action-based or personality-based, but the point still stands; most of the male cast is NOT GAR by any means; Onii-chan's stands are few and infrequent, and he isn't really someone that any sane person wants to emulate, except perhaps for the Love Simulation Syndrome (and that only if you're really desperate). Konstantin ditto, and doubly so for the Professor. We haven't seen Laika's dad do anything, and Jung in the past was probably pretty good but now? Well, we don't get to see much of him either. Nobody in this cast is really GAR-able, perhaps not even Fuuka, skilled as she might be otherwise.

You forget Fuuka's dad.

Basically, we need a character who can Noa Bright-slap Onii-chan back into place!

[Jarlath]

GAR may be action-based or personality-based, but the point still stands; most of the male cast is NOT GAR by any means; Onii-chan's stands are few and infrequent, and he isn't really someone that any sane person wants to emulate, except perhaps for the Love Simulation Syndrome (and that only if you're really desperate). Konstantin ditto, and doubly so for the Professor. We haven't seen Laika's dad do anything, and Jung in the past was probably pretty good but now? Well, we don't get to see much of him either. Nobody in this cast is really GAR-able, perhaps not even Fuuka, skilled as she might be otherwise.

You forget Fuuka's dad.

Basically, we need a character who can Noa Bright-slap Onii-chan back into place!

No, I haven't forgotten Fuuka's dad - except for the fact that he's DEAD, so how is he GAR? We never saw him, we've NEVER seen him - we've seen Laika's dad, and all he did was bring home a pig and tease Onii-chan along with Laika's mom, unless you count the offscreen fight during the flashback. GAR means we have to admire his personality, and we know nothing about him; it's like going GAR for Alex's parents - they exist, but we haven't seen them at all.

[Water]

GAR may be action-based or personality-based, but the point still stands; most of the male cast is NOT GAR by any means; Onii-chan's stands are few and infrequent, and he isn't really someone that any sane person wants to emulate, except perhaps for the Love Simulation Syndrome (and that only if you're really desperate). Konstantin ditto, and doubly so for the Professor. We haven't seen Laika's dad do anything, and Jung in the past was probably pretty good but now? Well, we don't get to see much of him either. Nobody in this cast is really GAR-able, perhaps not even Fuuka, skilled as she might be otherwise.

You forget Fuuka's dad.

Basically, we need a character who can Noa Bright-slap Onii-chan back into place!

Well why not forget him? He is dead after all, nevermind the fact he hasn't made a single appearance in the comic. For all we know he could've had the exact same personality as his wife. What I don't get is why you'd bring up someone as anonymous as Fuuka's dad and not say anything about Onii-chan's dad. The guy's freakin' inspired by Indiana Jones for crying out loud! I'd say he has quite an edge over Mr. 'Never-appeared-in-the-comic.'

Edit: Damn, you beat me to it Jarleth.

Seriously though, I don't think GAR really has a place in ExCoKo at this point. Don't get me wrong, I like GAR... E.g. I think Revy (Black Lagoon) and Guts (Berserk) are both pretty awesome. But I don't think the love-sim parody that is ExCoKo and GAR are really all that compatible. It would be like trying to write a historical science fiction novel... You ask how I think the comic would've turned out if it had included more GAR-ness. Well, for one, I wouldn't have become interested in it; at least not for the same reasons.

Anyway, with all that in mind, I nominate Konstantin. No seriously. Not all the time of course, but he has his moments of coolness. (Ignoring the totally uncool looking Konstantin in the last panel of that last one. ) The most important one probably being during the Haruna arc when he decided to be serious for once and demonstrated that he's probably (one of) the most level-headed and clear thinking person(s) in ExCoKo. It's kinda like Vash. While over all one can't really consider him GAR either, he too has his moments of badass-ness.

[raptorwolfchick]

The question: who among the Tsunami Channel cast do you think counts as GAR? Laika's Dad comes to mind. Also, how do you think the comic would have turned out differently had it included more GAR-ness?

Hmmm, its hard to say seeing as this is not a comic that focuses on GAR things. Its really a Moe comic so itd be pretty damn hard to find any GAR within all the nice and romantic fluffyness. And if this comic was GARish, it wouldn't be tsuchan. There would be no house full of sweet young ladies, heck, they wouldnt even exist. OC would be some street thug going out and robbing killing people. Kon would be some kind of underground drug lord that hires him every now and then for a hit job. War and death would be everywhere, etc. (Blood, hooray!) In other words, like I said before, it would not be tsuchan!

You forget Fuuka's dad.

Basically, we need a character who can Noa Bright-slap Onii-chan back into place!

We've never even seen Fuukas dad, he could be 10 times more spineless that OC for all you know.
And if some guy came within 100 feet of OC with the intent of causing him physical "manly" harm, you can bet your boots that every girl on campus would beat the crap outa him before OC even realized what was going on. Laika and Haruna would damn sure beat him within an inch of his life.
Besides, why should someone try to make OC "manlier"? Everyone important to him likes him just the way he is, and that is what matters.

You guys obssession with this GAR stuff is really creepy in a funny way. Even though I too have a rabid hormonal fetish for hairy testosterone filled gruff manly men, its no where near as strong as ya'lls. ;P I can hook yall up with some pinups if you want, just note me. ;3 Ohohohohurhurhurhurrrrr~

[sfried]

The question: who among the Tsunami Channel cast do you think counts as GAR? Laika's Dad comes to mind. Also, how do you think the comic would have turned out differently had it included more GAR-ness?

Hmmm, its hard to say seeing as this is not a comic that focuses on GAR things. Its really a Moe comic so itd be pretty damn hard to find any GAR within all the nice and romantic fluffyness. And if this comic was GARish, it wouldn't be tsuchan. There would be no house full of sweet young ladies, heck, they wouldnt even exist. OC would be some street thug going out and robbing killing people. Kon would be some kind of underground drug lord that hires him every now and then for a hit job. War and death would be everywhere, etc. (Blood, hooray!) In other words, like I said before, it would not be tsuchan!

You forget Fuuka's dad.

Basically, we need a character who can Noa Bright-slap Onii-chan back into place!

We've never even seen Fuukas dad, he could be 10 times more spineless that OC for all you know.
And if some guy came within 100 feet of OC with the intent of causing him physical "manly" harm, you can bet your boots that every girl on campus would beat the crap outa him before OC even realized what was going on. Laika and Haruna would damn sure beat him within an inch of his life.
Besides, why should someone try to make OC "manlier"? Everyone important to him likes him just the way he is, and that is what matters.

You guys obssession with this GAR stuff is really creepy in a funny way. Even though I too have a rabid hormonal fetish for hairy testosterone filled gruff manly men, its no where near as strong as ya'lls. ;P I can hook yall up with some pinups if you want, just note me. ;3 Ohohohohurhurhurhurrrrr~

But...I'm sick and tired of just all moe-fluff. Not to say I don't like Tsuchan for it (luckily Akira also likes action sequences), but...must all males portayed be wimps? I can't associate myself with that. (Maybe the more hardcore otaku closet people, but...)

[Decagon]

I'm a bit confused. Is GAR supposed to be manliness, or just kick-ass-ness? I grew up with the impession that honor, loyalty, brotherhood, and compassion are what made men, and I think you would more readily see those qualities in Tsuchan characters than something "GAR". Maybe it's just different cultural paradigms. Maybe someone can send me a PM about it?

Anyway, I think Oni-Laika would be plenty gar.

[Jarlath]

But...I'm sick and tired of just all moe-fluff. Not to say I don't like Tsuchan for it (luckily Akira also likes action sequences), but...must all males portayed be wimps? I can't associate myself with that. (Maybe the more hardcore otaku closet people, but...)

Except that Tsu-chan's still a Moe-type comic at the moment, although there promises to be some more drama with the oni storyline that's been floating around the past half-year. NOBODY there has shown any GAR tendencies, and to associate someone who we've never even seen a picture of with GAR-ness is like declaring Onii-chan to be the most "Macho Man who has Ever Existed"; we've seen no signs that this is the case, and Onii-chan's father at least had an appearance... yet we know nothing about his personality, except that he was apparently quite driven given how he was always on the road looking for information about the oni and other supernatural things in that world, to judge by how he's been described.

If you want GAR, you're looking at the wrong comic. :D Remember, this is a 'Love Sim'... which means strong women (Fuuka, Laika, Haruna), as Onii-chan himself complained about way back when.

I'm a bit confused. Is GAR supposed to be manliness, or just kick-ass-ness? I grew up with the impession that honor, loyalty, brotherhood, and compassion are what made men, and I think you would more readily see those qualities in Tsuchan characters than something "GAR". Maybe it's just different cultural paradigms. Maybe someone can send me a PM about it?

Anyway, I think Oni-Laika would be plenty gar.

GAR is a bit of both - manliness may or may not come into play, although some people admire it. The kickass nature of a GAR character is the key to GARness, from what I've seen - Fate/Stay Night, horrible as the anime was, DID have one GAR character: Archer; he was confident, cool, and skilled. You could admire his dedication and his nonchalance, even with how he ended up.

Revy's considered GAR by some because she's a psycho who enjoys her life, without being a complete sociopath - she can empathize with SOME people. Plus, she's horribly combat-effective. And I wouldn't say Oni-Laika's GAR, because it's kinda hard to admire her given what she did in the past. You can empathize with her position, based on her last appearance... but I don't know if I could go GAR for her.

[Zensunni]

I'm a bit confused. Is GAR supposed to be manliness, or just kick-ass-ness? I grew up with the impession that honor, loyalty, brotherhood, and compassion are what made men, and I think you would more readily see those qualities in Tsuchan characters than something "GAR". Maybe it's just different cultural paradigms. Maybe someone can send me a PM about it?

GAR is kick-ass-ness, mainly. It's why both men and women can be GAR. It doesn't have to apply to just anime, either: Shaft, for example, is GAR. However, nobility does play a role in GAR-ness. Captain Harlock is certainly a model of honor, loyalty, and brotherhood. There are some who've delved deep into the nature of GAR (for example, some consider revenge to be unworthy of a GAR); you can look it up further on the web for more info.

Oni-Laika wouldn't be considered GAR due to her psychotic nature. GAR requires the ability to control the coolness. Oni-Laika has no control.

My ranking of GAR-ness, from least to most (with some characters omitted):

Alex - Pushed around by young girls, (kind of) forced to cross dress, and shy. The Anti-GAR.

Kotone - The loli character, made for moe; only her robotic super strength and skills with cutting knives makes her more GAR than Alex. Very Not GAR.

Anya - Like Kotone, she's just plain moe; her slavish dedication to Konstantin, while cute, is highly un-GAR like. "Is Fine Too" GAR.

Onii-chan - Gets pushed around a lot, indecisive; his lack of any real name gives him a hint of mystery and he may be cool one day, as shown by his physical development. Small Chance GAR.

Haruna - Sweet and emotional; her abilities with a naginata and the fact she isn't constantly moe give her a higher cool factor than Onii-chan and Kotone. Sunday Painter GAR.

Arc - Tries (and fails) to be cool, is clearly still a beginner and not ready to be a role model yet; he has magical powers and knows how to use them, he has proven competent at least once in the past. GAR-in-Training.

Lisa - prone to bouts of childish revenge; like Arc, she's also in training, but she's smarter and calmer. Growing Up GAR.

Konstantin - two key things stand in his way to GAR-ness: his perversion, which detracts from his otherwise cool exterior, and his attraction to Onii-chan (the GAR and the gay are traditionally kept separate, per 4chan's homophobia). His physical abilities and moments of coolness, though, clearly indicate Pre-hentai Konstantin could be quite GAR, but we haven't seen him. Almost GAR.

Laika - Her biggest liability: her own personality disorder. As soon as her emo side and Oni side merge back into a single person, she'll be all GAR. Young Laika, from her period of training to face Fuuka, was full on GAR, as she showed great discipline and control (to a point) over her immense strength. Mostly GAR.

Mina - Calm, cool, intelligent. She deliberately takes on creatures more powerful than she is to grow. No emo, no psycho, no perversion. She's also not moe fan service like most of the other girls. "This is the GAR we've been looking for."

[Elric of Grans]

Mina, without a doubt. She lacks the stoic coolness of truly GAR characters, but she has all the flip-out awesomeness and attitude of the best of them.

[animefanrk2k]

Magical Mina defies mahou shoujo with Mina's unusual level of GAR-ness, which makes gives it extra kick assery for me. XD

If Tsunami Channel had more GAR... now there's a thought. I wonder what would happen. Of course, I think all GAR in Tsunami Channel will be countered and put to shame by Kotone. She IS moe. XD

[sfried]

If Tsunami Channel had more GAR... now there's a thought. I wonder what would happen. Of course, I think all GAR in Tsunami Channel will be countered and put to shame by Kotone. She IS moe. XD

If TsuChan had more GAR, then its power level would go OVER 9000!!!! (Sorry, had to say it)

But really, if Tsunami herself did some sort of couragous act, without any regrets, without wanting to be loved back or anything like that...like how that main protagonists from Twelve Kingdoms became awsome because she endured and came out on top...then Tsunami Cahnnel would entered the realm of good ol' oldschool manga/anime that we so heartily miss. It's like Akira would be like Takahicho, Tomino, etc. and not just riding the wave of trends out there. Of course, ultimately, it's for Akira to decide what he wants TsuChan to be, and it isn't mutually exclusive, either. (TsuChan CAN be both moe and GAR, depending on the occassion.)

[Elric of Grans]

Magical Mina defies mahou shoujo with Mina's unusual level of GAR-ness, which makes gives it extra kick assery for me. XD

Mina is not the only GAR-ish mahou shoujo lead. Cutey Honey got plenty of blood on herself in her battles, and plenty of the others fought without too much `Waa, the scary monster is... scary!' (including most of the Sailor Senshi). Sure, most did not fight anyone or anything, but Mina is not the first to be GAR-ish.