It's an oven outside, so let's cool off inside, courtesy of Sun Tzu's exceptional wisdom rating another chaotic anime cast.
As a quick refresher, here's how the rating system works. Sun Tzu cited Five Essential Factors to be Mastered for Victory: Morality, Weather, Terrain, Good Leadership, and Preparation. All under consideration can receive 0-10 points in each category. However, he also cited Five Fatal Failings of Leadership: Recklessness, Cowardice, A Hasty Temper (Anger for simplicity), Delicacy of Honor (DOH), and Caring Too Much About the Troops (Over-caring). All under consideration can lose 0-10 points in each category. At the end, the scores are tallied, and the results reveal how effective a character is in Sun Tzu's eyes, with the best aiming for 40 or better.
This time, we're analyzing a comedy classic: Keita Amano, Karen Tendo, Tasuku Uehara, Aguri Sakurano, Chiaki Hoshinomori, and Konoha Hoshinomori from Gamers. As always, to keep things fair, we'll analyze them in the order they were formally introduced.
Character Analysis: Keita Amano
Gamers: Keita Amano
Gamers: Keita Amano
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
8
He's a great person and loyal friend, although he can get a tad caustic when defending his views, an issue which led to his longstanding, petty spat with Chiaki.
Weather
4
He's okay, yet fairly frail because he spends more time in his room than in the sun.
Terrain
4
He knows the school and surrounding area, but isn't very observant and often quite clumsy, like when he accidentally stepped in a hole while moving up to the parade at the amusement park.
Good Leadership
3
He's got potential, especially when calming Chiaki's angst about making her newest game, yet mostly varies between follower and lone wolf.
Preparation
4
He knows several game franchises and was very familiar with the amusement park's attractions, but isn't a good planner and was so bad at one arcade machine that, when he commented about how good Tasuku was, the latter thought, "No, you just suck."
Total
23
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-10
Epic red flag. He perpetually underestimates others, is extremely careless with how he words and interprets things, and tends to impulsively overreact when he's angry or excited, most infamously when he almost shoved Tasuku off a bridge after the latter insulted Karen.
Cowardice
-8
Serious red flag. He's very wishy-washy and deeply insecure, although he gets a tad better toward the end, hence the slightly lower rating.
Anger
-5
He's got a temper, yet gets a tad calmer toward the end, hence another lower rating.
Delicacy of Honor
-4
He's got some issues with pride, but not enough to really worry.
Over-caring
-7
Slight red flag. He's overly passionate about games, loves Karen, and is very protective of Aguri and Tasuku.
Total
-34
Final Assessment
Score: -11 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Karen Tendo
Gamers: Karen Tendo
Gamers: Karen Tendo
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
7
She's a good person and loyal friend, yet can get very snarky when she's annoyed or jealous; she can also be very condescending when it comes to gaming.
Weather
9
She's highly capable, thanks to her athleticism and strength, but had a few issues at night after Keita defended her.
Terrain
5
She's quick and agile, yet frequently gets caught off-guard and isn't always very observant, like when she offered to carry a teacher's supplies and walked past the latter's destination because she kept looking in on Keita.
Good Leadership
5
She's very assertive and a great manager of the Game Club, but tends to go rogue at random times, particularly toward the end of the series.
Preparation
5
She's very smart and a phenomenal gamer, yet wasn't the least bit ready for Keita's nature or the confusion that ensued afterward.
Total
31
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-9
Major red flag. She constantly underestimates others, tends to explosively overreact when she's confused or jealous, and gets increasingly careless as her relationship with Keita deepens.
Cowardice
-7
Slight red flag. She's extremely insecure, a flaw that eventually got so out of control it helped trigger the group meltdown, arguably the greatest in anime history to date.
Anger
-7
Slight red flag. She's a hothead, as well as easily triggered, mostly by Keita, although she also sometimes snaps at Tasuku.
Delicacy of Honor
-7
Slight red flag. She's very proud and over-competitive, both of which she made clear at the hot spring resort when (after Aguri asked what she wanted to see more of in gaming) she said, "Harder difficulty."
Over-caring
-7
Slight red flag. She's obsessively in love with Keita, so much so that, at one point, it almost drove her insane.
Total
-37
Final Assessment
Score: -6 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Tasuku Uehara
Gamers: Tasuku Uehara
Gamers: Tasuku Uehara
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
7
He's a tad caustic at first, but soon proves a very loyal ally and friend; he's also a great boyfriend to Aguri.
Weather
10
Thanks to his observation, strength, and instincts, this isn't an issue.
Terrain
5
He knows the school and surrounding area, yet frequently gets caught off-guard, like when Aguri and Keita slipped in behind him when he was chatting with Chiaki at the diner.
Good Leadership
5
He's got some solid diplomatic skills, particularly when trying to negotiate a ceasefire between Keita and Chiaki, but his lack of clarity caused a lot of unnecessary problems.
Preparation
5
He's a good student and gamer (especially when using his claw machine trick), yet ends up winging everything else.
Total
32
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-9
Major red flag. He constantly underestimates others, and was extremely careless while trying to untangle the collective confusion.
Cowardice
-4
He's extremely insecure at first, particularly during the group meltdown, but made a nice recovery once all was sorted out, hence the much lower rating.
Anger
-7
Slight red flag. He's a hothead, plus easily triggered, usually by Keita, although he also snapped over Chiaki's game.
Delicacy of Honor
-7
Slight red flag. He's very cocky, as well as very proud, issues that constantly backfire, like when Aguri inadvertently saw him with Chiaki and Karen during another mediation attempt.
Over-caring
-5
He loves Aguri, and is very concerned about keeping everyone sane as the collective confusion keeps growing.
Total
-32
Final Assessment
Score: 0 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Aguri Sakurano
Gamers: Aguri Sakurano
Gamers: Aguri Sakurano
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
7
She's very sweet, but can get very selfish with Tasuku, especially when he wins her cat plushies at the arcade.
Weather
8
She's pretty good most of the time, yet sometimes doesn't do well at night.
Terrain
5
She's okay, but frequently gets caught off-guard when trying to peer through crowds; she's also a tad clumsy.
Good Leadership
4
She's very assertive when helping Keita with Karen, yet mostly varies between follower and lone wolf.
Preparation
4
She's a good student and planned her reunion with Tasuku very well, but isn't a very good cook, doesn't know much about games, and got blindsided by her former friend at the diner.
Total
28
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-10
Epic red flag. She constantly underestimates others, and tends to impulsively overreact when she's upset, a problem that went completely out of control when she mistakenly assumed Tasuku was cheating on her.
Cowardice
-5
She's painfully insecure at first, not to mention nearly imploded during the group meltdown, yet made a hefty comeback once all was cleared up, hence the lower rating.
Anger
-5
She's got a temper, but takes a lot to really snap, like when she and Tasuku yelled (in response to Karen and Keita asking if they were arguing), "No, but if we were it'd be all your fault!"
Delicacy of Honor
-7
Slight red flag. She's very vain, plus has some issues with pride, both of which eventually led to the series' famed gaming debate at the hot springs.
Over-caring
-10
Epic red flag. She's infatuated with Tasuku, so much so she changed her appearance to win him over; she's also very close to Keita, whom she thinks of like a brother.
Total
-37
Final Assessment
Score: -9 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Chiaki Hoshinomori
Gamers: Chiaki Hoshinomori
Gamers: Chiaki Hoshinomori
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
5
She's a great sister and loyal friend, yet was extremely caustic to Keita for most of the series, even coming up with one of anime's more creative insults in the process: "I hate him more than DLC that's cut from the original title as an easy cash grab."
Weather
5
She's okay, but isn't very good outdoors, especially in the heat.
Terrain
4
She knows the school, yet is extremely clumsy and easily caught off-guard, such as when she accidentally fell out of her chair when she leaned too far back at home.
Good Leadership
4
She's got potential as a game developer, but usually just varies between follower and lone wolf.
Preparation
4
She's a good student, yet got completely blindsided by Keita, and her game-making skills are a tad quirky due to her obsession with fish.
Total
22
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-10
Epic red flag. She completely underestimated Keita, was extremely careless when trying to sort out the collective misinformation, and tends to impulsively overreact when she's angry or confused, such as when she literally fainted after learning who Keita really was during the board game arc.
Cowardice
-7
Slight red flag. She's very insecure about formatting her games, had arguably the greatest overreaction in the group meltdown, and is extremely indecisive about how to win Keita over, the latter making her amusement park spiel very awkward.
Anger
-8
Serious red flag. She's a hothead, plus easily triggered, usually by Keita, although Tasuku isn't far behind.
Delicacy of Honor
-5
She's got some issues with pride, but time slowly tempers some of that, hence the lower rating.
Over-caring
-7
Slight red flag. Despite her awkward start, she's in love with Keita, plus also very protective of Konoha.
Total
-37
Final Assessment
Score: -15 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Konoha Hoshinomori
Gamers: Konoha Hoshinomori
Gamers: Konoha Hoshinomori
Victory Factors
Factor
Score
Reasoning
Morality
5
She's got a good heart and is a great sister, but is extremely jealous of Karen, overly fond of adult games, and her opening sequence in the student council room was very disturbing.
Weather
8
She's very capable, given her agility and awareness, yet gets a tad awkward at night.
Terrain
3
She knows the school and game store, but isn't very observant and gets caught off-guard easily, particularly when indulging her mature gaming fetish.
Good Leadership
4
She's a good student council president and has a few good tactical skills, yet is mostly more lone wolf than leader.
Preparation
5
She's an okay planner, but isn't very subtle and wasn't the least bit ready for Keita's game store spiel.
Total
25
Fatal Failings
Failing
Score
Reasoning
Recklessness
-10
Epic red flag. She perpetually underestimates others, and is extremely careless when trying to help Chiaki, like when she tried to ease the latter's angst about Keita only to accidentally make her snap instead.
Cowardice
-3
She's a tad indecisive, yet not enough to worry.
Anger
-8
Serious red flag. She's got a short fuse and is easily triggered, most infamously when she heard Keita vacillating over a game recommendation and thought, "You wishy-washy little cockroach!"
Delicacy of Honor
-7
Slight red flag. She's very proud, which amplifies her jealousy of Karen because she feels she has to work for everything while the latter achieves so much without trying.
Over-caring
-4
She's very protective of Chiaki, hence her baiting Keita into leaving the haunted house to get them together.
Total
-32
Final Assessment
Score: -7 (Nightmare scenario)
Reviewing the Results
This cast was a complete mess: good hearts and capable skills undone by jealousy, petty spats, misinterpretation, and everything in between. Thus, it's no shock they spend most of the series falling all over themselves, but that all harkens back to what's been said all along: follow Sun Tzu, and you'll win; ignore him, and you'll lose.
Gamers Characters: Victory Factors Analysis
Character
Morality
Weather
Terrain
Leadership
Preparation
Final Score
Keita
8
4
4
3
4
23
Karen
7
9
5
5
5
31
Tasuku
7
10
5
5
5
32
Aguri
7
8
5
4
4
28
Chiaki
5
5
4
4
4
22
Konoha
5
8
3
4
5
25
Gamers Characters: Fatal Failings Analysis
Character
Recklessness
Cowardice
Anger
DOH
Over-caring
Final Score
Keita
-10
-8
-5
-4
-7
-34
Karen
-9
-7
-7
-7
-7
-37
Tasuku
-9
-4
-7
-7
-5
-32
Aguri
-10
-5
-5
-7
-10
-37
Chiaki
-10
-7
-8
-5
-7
-37
Konoha
-10
-3
-8
-7
-4
-32
Gamers Characters: Final Scores
Character
Final Score
Assessment
Keita
-11
Nightmare scenario
Karen
-6
Nightmare scenario
Tasuku
0
Nightmare scenario
Aguri
-9
Nightmare scenario
Chiaki
-15
Nightmare scenario
Konoha
-7
Nightmare scenario
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Andrew's originally from Massachusetts, and has studied military history/tactics/strategy for almost 30 years. He has a BA in History (English minor) from UMASS Lowell and JD from Mass. School of Law. He can be found on Twitter (@AndrewNickers19) daily, analyzing characters via Sun Tzu.
Fun Fact
Andrew's a huge fan of anime music. He particularly recommends Crescent Love (Brighter than the Dawning Blue), Dream Riser (Girls Und Panzer), and the fight theme to Zoids: New Century.
