it's a yes for me cause i like how they can take care of themselves (well most of the time)

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pieces of eternity are falling through the cracks of sweat, pain and guilt

Depends on the manga, more importantly it depends on the character type. It isn't every manga you see the male protagonist stand up for himself with complete and utter confidence, it's typically more seen in action mangas because that is how the plot goes. As for when you reverse the genders, I feel that there is a different effect given when a female protagonist has complete and utter confidence and utterly kicks ass, and there are two reasons why I personally feel the effect is different, gender stereotypes, and my ability to relate to the main character.

For gender stereotypes, there are certain social limits I have in my mind, and depending on how the author pushes these limits, I either accept or ridicule the decision. Let's say for example a really skinny dynamite sexy main female protagonist fights off a huge muscular man wielding a massive axe or something. They get into a fist fight, lock fists, and she overpowers him, tossing him, crushing him, whatever. I find this utterly absurd, and although it is made to be unrealistic, I can't accept the fact that the author wants to give the protagonist a skinny and unrealistic body matched with an unrealistic strength that can dwarf the efforts of a body building man. If for example, the female uses a combination of wit, speed, and skill, that is a different story.

But this gender stereotype is not limited to action or combat. In romances, breaking the stereotype of a typical "woman in love" and "man in love" will have different effects, and it will either make or break a plot. It is very rare that there is a romance where the male protagonist is completely self dependent and that they don't need the help of others. There needs to be some sort of support either with friends or with the person they love, and the same goes for a female protagonist. What I often find is that when they try to make a female protagonist, it is more about making a political or activist statement, and less about the romance, the story, and the character, and this is what bothers me. There will always be those who don't like a strong woman, but with that said, most strong women are created more so to make a statement then to fall in love and it sticks out like a sore thumb.

As for the ability for me to associate myself with the main character, it is honestly difficult to associate with female protagonists. I dislike rpgs with female protagonists because it is hard to get into them, and I dislike plots with female protagonists because I can't understand their decisions and their actions. Unless the gender roles are completely reverse, and the female protagonist is like a man, and the male protagonist is like a woman (that I can relate too), then I cannot get into the plot at a personal level. I still like romances, and it is nice to see two fall in love and face the many trials ahead, but it ends up being me watching the story from a third person view rather than being in the first person view from the main character. It is a barrier that is too difficult for me to cross, a gender barrier.

Relating this back to the relevant topic, unless a female main character is very masculine in attitude and actions (which is arguable to say. Is a woman strong and kicks ass because she is masculine, or is a woman strong and kicks ass because she is confident? The two are often confused), then I cannot relate to her. If she is masculine, then it makes it easier for me to assume the first person view, but if she is simply confident, then it is much more difficult.

I like to see girls kick ass, but there are generally two different types of girls that kick ass, the one that has a statement to make (girl power, and all that crap [I know what I am inciting with these words]) and the eye candy that is there to show some cleavage (even worse than a go girl statement character, these characters are cliche, shallow, and often has as much depth as a sheet of paper). Although there were a few plots in the past that successfully had a female main character without butchering the manga, these are rare and because of that, I have to say it is dependent on the plot and story.

Summary:
Gender stereotypes (the realism of the character)
Personal affiliation (first person or third person, am I experiencing what they are experiencing, or am I just watching a movie)
Type of girl (tomboy or simply confident)
Purpose of the strong female (is it a girl power statement, is it fan service, or is it relevant to the plot)
And lastly, whether or not the female protagonist kicks ass through adversity or if she simply wins to make a statement.

@ Vudoodude, NICE. I agree with you completely. It really only depends on yourself, and your way of thinking. still gg with that rant.

I like it, but to a certain point. I hate girls that are too "guy-like" or tomboyish/delinquent, but if a girl can fight and still act ladylike, it's a plus for me =]. Just don't want some girl who can't control herself kicking random peoples' asses, but say if a girl was cornered into a tough situation, then I would love it if she can get herself out of it with some "power".

A confident girl can also be seen as a "girl sticking up for themselves", and definitely I love confident girls in manga as opposed to wimpy crybabys who can't do crap.

I totally agree with vudoodude up there, there are many different elements that can add into whether or not you "like a girl who stick up for themselves".

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Sometimes, it depends on the manga. Half the time, when the girl is as strong as that, they usually have a really annoying loud personality or are really stupid.

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♪MONSTARR~ will eat all your cookies and steal your bishies~♪ Φ_Φ

Ehh...only when the guy deserves to get his ass kicked.

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i, as a girl, always stick up for myself.. and for my male friends at that.
if i wont, itd be way too lame.
so i really like it when i see stuff like girl bushing up a guy in a manga

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the best security guard, EVER.

I find strong, confident girls sexy. Weak, submissive girls can be cute, but they pretty much don't compare.

Action shounen/seinen with a strong, kick-ass female lead is my preferred genre of reading.

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Tree + Taco = Tree taco.

after Vudoodude's post really hard to add something new...

can't say, that I like girls kicking guys' asses. I like self-confident girls who don't hesitate to use their brains but manage to stay ladies amidst all these.
such female characters are pretty rare, because it's really hard to create a personality free of clichés. almost all female characters in manga are crybabies , who doesn't know how to act without a big and great guy supporting them. tomboy girls are not better that those whiners, they just hide their true self until for them comes the time to fall in love with the main hero.
there is a fine line between female character randomly kicks boys asses and self-confident personality which just can do things her own way.
about associating with protagonist, as for me, I haven't ever felt something like this. all characters in all mangas are separate persons from me, even though I want to try it, I think, it won't work out, because my self-confidence in 99% are much more higher than female character's one

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Paradise on my right, Hell on my left and the Angel of Death behind.
http://iahel.tumblr.com

As long as she doesn't get paired with some really wimpy dude (that also depends on how that is done, like Fate/Stay Night was good) I think it's aweosme.

I stick up for myself whenever something comes up.... & i usually like when girls take up for themselves... but sometimes it causes a warped personality... like all that power goes to their heads turning them into beyotches.

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Girls kick ass. It says so on a t-shirt.



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I want my stuff realistic.

Too much of a simplification. Sometimes a woman is showed strong but its not her show.

remember the chimpettes(from the Chimpmunks), or princess jasmine from the Aladdin cartoon. Even Gwen in some of the latter episodes of the original Ben Ten. In some cases women were shown as being so superior for no reason other than then Grrl powah.

There's always a tendency to overreact to the worst extreme when dealing with an injustice.

I used older cartoon references cause I've carried those with me most of my life, and I knew they were pretty clear cut examples.

Strong chicks are hella HAWT!! I love a girl that can challange me!