Sun Tzu and Anime: Otonari ni Ginga Character Analysis
The days are steadily growing longer, so let's use some of that extra time to let Sun Tzu's exceptional wisdom rate more anime legends.
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 checking out a cozy lot: the primary cast from A Galaxy Next Door. As always, to keep things fair, we'll analyze them in the order they were formally introduced.
Character Analysis: Shiori Goshiki
A Galaxy Next Door: Shiori Goshiki
A Galaxy Next Door: Shiori Goshiki
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Morality | 9 | She's a wonderful person, charming and generous, although she's also a tad selfish, like when she got jealous of Moka during the latter's initial visit. |
| Weather | 8 | She's quite capable thanks to her Star Child genes, yet still got caught in the rain a few times. |
| Terrain | 5 | She's okay, but badly restricted by her marriage pact's range requirements; she's also claustrophobic and a tad clumsy, namely when she left her stinger exposed after her first all-nighter. |
| Good Leadership | 4 | She's good with Fumio and Machi, yet mostly varies between follower and lone wolf. |
| Preparation | 5 | She's a talented manga artist and has great improv skills, but wasn't the least bit ready for the roller coaster of feelings she experienced while falling for Ichiro. |
| Total | 32 | |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Recklessness | -9 | Major red flag. She often underestimates others, especially Ichiro and Miyako, and gets very impulsive when she's excited or nervous, like when she stayed up all night reading Moka's manga series Master of the Lion's Fist. |
| Cowardice | -5 | She's shy and indecisive at first, but falling for Ichiro tempered some of that, hence the lower rating. |
| Anger | -1 | She rarely gets angry, so no worries here. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -3 | She's a tad vain, yet not enough to worry. |
| Over-caring | -7 | Slight red flag. She adores Ichiro, hence her guilt over the retribution part of their marriage pact; she's also very close to his siblings, Chibi, Moka, and her neighbors. |
| Total | -25 | |
Final Assessment
Score: 7 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Miyako Goshiki
A Galaxy Next Door: Miyako Goshiki
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Morality | 0 | She's extremely cold-blooded, something she made amply clear when, after Ken asked if she missed Shiori, she claimed she couldn't answer because her feelings were "rather complex." |
| Weather | 10 | Thanks to her instincts and Star Child Genes, this isn't an issue. |
| Terrain | 5 | She's observant, but can't leave home for too long without her influence waning; she's also highly restricted by her own marriage pact with Ken. |
| Good Leadership | 0 | She's bossy, manipulative, and utterly ruthless about maintaining the island's isolation, not to mention reigning over everything with an iron fist. |
| Preparation | 3 | She can plan some island activities, yet ultimately wings everything else. |
| Total | 18 | |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Recklessness | -10 | Epic red flag. She perpetually underestimates others, especially Ichiro, and is extremely careless about family, most infamously when she dismissed her own mother's death during the hotel confrontation. |
| Cowardice | -10 | Epic red flag. She's a shameless bully, alternatively taunting Shiori, then treating her like a toddler, hence the latter's famous riposte: "You have never had any faith in me, and I know you never will." |
| Anger | -7 | Slight red flag. She's got a slow-burn temper that's always just shy of boiling over, and she has no qualms about unleashing it on anyone who challenges her. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -10 | Epic red flag. She's exceptionally proud, something that makes her look down on everyone and dismiss outside opinions, particularly those of Ken or her late mom. |
| Over-caring | -10 | Epic red flag. She's obsessed with controlling Shiori, hence her allowing Momiji to annul Shiori and Ichiro's marriage pact, hoping it would break them up. |
| Total | -47 | |
Final Assessment
Score: -29 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Ken Goshiki
A Galaxy Next Door: Ken Goshiki
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Morality | 5 | He's a good man at heart, but barely defends Shiori until the end; he's also extremely condescending toward Ichiro. |
| Weather | 7 | He's observant, yet tends to lag in the cold, considering he wasn't as active during the winter. |
| Terrain | 4 | He's okay, but highly restricted by his marriage pact with Miyako, especially its retribution factor, which often leaves him in a cast or wheelchair. |
| Good Leadership | 0 | He's a perpetual follower, plus was completely onboard with annulling Shiori and Ichiro's marriage pact because he thought it'd bring the former home. |
| Preparation | 3 | He can plan some things, like when he offered to go into town with Miyako on Xmas, yet ultimately wings everything else. |
| Total | 19 | |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Recklessness | -10 | Epic red flag. He completely underestimated Ichiro, and is extremely careless about Miyako's hostility, something that ultimately cost him his relationship with Shiori. |
| Cowardice | -8 | Serious red flag. He's extremely indecisive, which badly hurt Shiori throughout her youth and amply fed Miyako's controlling nature. |
| Anger | -2 | He's got a slight temper, but not enough to worry. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -7 | Slight red flag. He's very stuffy toward Ichiro, then was later extremely cocky about Shiori returning following the annulment. |
| Over-caring | -8 | Serious red flag. He dotes on Miyako and is very over-protective of Shiori, a flaw that badly backfired after Ichiro's feelings remained intact following the annulment. |
| Total | -35 | |
Final Assessment
Score: -16 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Ichiro Kuga
A Galaxy Next Door: Ichiro Kuga
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Morality | 10 | He's an amazing person and phenomenal brother, considering he simultaneously assumed responsibility for raising his younger siblings and being a social apartment's live-in landlord in addition to his manga work; he also wrote one of the best love letters in anime history. |
| Weather | 5 | He's okay, but somehow didn't notice the rain outside his window the first time Machi and Fumio wanted to go to the zoo. |
| Terrain | 5 | He's good, yet is badly restricted throughout the series by his marriage pact with Shiori; he's also a tad clumsy, like when he got so caught up with his initial deadline he forgot to show Shiori around the apartment building. |
| Good Leadership | 4 | He's good with his siblings, but tries too often to handle everything himself; he also doesn't always pick up on problems with his siblings. |
| Preparation | 5 | He's a great artist and cook, and did well when testing the marriage pact's limits, yet often gets caught off-guard by deadlines, one of which was so close he forgot about Xmas. |
| Total | 29 | |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Recklessness | -9 | Major red flag. He constantly underestimates others, especially Shiori and his siblings, and tends to impulsively overreact when he's nervous or embarrassed, like when he panicked after his editor asked him to rewrite his storyboards to include romance. |
| Cowardice | -5 | He's extremely wishy-washy, but falling for Shiori tempered some of that, hence the lower rating. |
| Anger | -2 | He's got a slight temper, yet not enough to worry. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -2 | He's a tad vain, but not enough to worry here either. |
| Over-caring | -9 | Major red flag. He's extremely protective of his siblings and friends, plus loves Shiori so much that the fear of losing her after annulling the marriage pact almost destroyed him. |
| Total | -28 | |
Final Assessment
Score: 1 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Machi Kuga
A Galaxy Next Door: Machi Kuga
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Morality | 7 | She's a great person and wonderful sister, yet can sometimes be tactless, like when she called Ichiro and Moka "old and super weird" during the latter's initial visit. |
| Weather | 4 | She's okay, but missed the rain outside during their initial zoo attempt too. |
| Terrain | 5 | She's pretty good, yet not very observant, particularly when trying to secretly ask Shiori and Ichiro about their feelings. |
| Good Leadership | 5 | She's very aggressive about getting Ichiro and Shiori together, but is ultimately more lone wolf than leader. |
| Preparation | 5 | She's great at introducing Shiori to the apartment and fortune telling, yet mostly wings everything else. |
| Total | 26 | |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Recklessness | -9 | Major red flag. She constantly underestimates her siblings, and often impulsively blurts out her thoughts, such as when she first saw Shiori and said, "You're so pretty! Are you some kind of gemstone princess?" |
| Cowardice | -3 | She's a tad indecisive, yet not enough to worry. |
| Anger | -4 | She's got a slight temper, but only snaps once, and it took a lot to set her off. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -7 | Slight red flag. She's very cocky, as well as extremely proud, something that badly cost Ichiro when she blurted out that he and Shiori were dating on Xmas Eve. |
| Over-caring | -7 | Slight red flag. She adores Shiori and her brothers, so much so she turned down a friend's offer to play so Fumio wouldn't feel alone. |
| Total | -30 | |
Final Assessment
Score: -4 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Fumio Kuga
A Galaxy Next Door: Fumio Kuga
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Morality | 10 | He's a wonderful kid: generous, compassionate, and a great brother. |
| Weather | 4 | He's okay, but overlooked the rain on the initial zoo attempt too, plus isn't very active at night. |
| Terrain | 5 | He's good at times, yet very clumsy, like when he tried to stuff a large zoo volume into his backpack for their second excursion attempt. |
| Good Leadership | 3 | He's got potential, particularly when he convinced Machi to go play with her friends, but is ultimately more follower than leader. |
| Preparation | 4 | He's very book smart, yet so naïve that he ultimately ends up winging everything else. |
| Total | 26 | |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Recklessness | -7 | Slight red flag. He often underestimates his siblings, and has a strange habit of impulsively repeating the last words someone says. |
| Cowardice | -5 | He's very shy, although Shiori's presence gradually tempered some of that, hence the lower rating. |
| Anger | 0 | He rarely gets angry, so no worries here. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -2 | He's a tad vain, but not enough to worry. |
| Over-caring | -7 | Slight red flag. He's very close to Shiori, Moka, and his siblings, hence his famously clinging to Ichiro when the latter recovered from his first retribution episode. |
| Total | -21 | |
Final Assessment
Score: 5 (Nightmare scenario)
Character Analysis: Chihiro Ibusuki AKA Chibi
A Galaxy Next Door: Chihiro Ibusuki AKA Chibi
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Morality | 8 | She's a wonderful person and loyal friend, yet can be selfish, most famously when she moved into Ichiro's building because of her crush on him. |
| Weather | 9 | She's highly capable, but sometimes doesn't pay attention at night, like when Machi and Shiori had their little sleepover on Xmas Eve. |
| Terrain | 8 | She's very familiar with the area and her neighbors, yet missed several obvious hints about Ichiro and Shiori's deepening relationship. |
| Good Leadership | 5 | She's great with Machi and Fumio, but is ultimately more lone wolf than leader. |
| Preparation | 5 | She's good at shopping and socializing, yet wasn't the least bit ready for Ichiro's work schedule or Shiori's influence on him. |
| Total | 35 | |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Recklessness | -8 | Serious red flag. She constantly underestimates Ichiro and Shiori, and impulsively overreacted several times during her sleepover with Machi and Shiori. |
| Cowardice | -5 | She's shy and indecisive at first, but gets a tad better over time, hence the lower rating. |
| Anger | -1 | She only gets angry once, and it took a lot to make her snap. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -3 | She's a tad vain, yet not enough to worry. |
| Over-caring | -2 | She's initially infatuated with Ichiro, but backed down when he fell for Shiori, hence the much lower rating. |
| Total | -19 | |
Final Assessment
Score: 16 (Great potential, yet deeply flawed)
Character Analysis: Momoka Morikuni AKA Moka
A Galaxy Next Door: Momoka Morikuni AKA Moka
Victory Factors
| Factor | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Morality | 10 | She's an amazing person: a doting friend, eager mentor, and incredibly generous, like when she gave Shiori an old Tablet so she could learn to work digitally. |
| Weather | 10 | Due to her keen eye and awareness, this isn't an issue. |
| Terrain | 8 | She was a tad clumsy when she was little, but has since become very capable and observant. |
| Good Leadership | 9 | She's a phenomenal artist/author and great motivator, yet sometimes goes rogue when it comes to helping Ichiro. |
| Preparation | 9 | She's a skilled teacher, great cook, and has wonderful adaptive skills, like when she let Ichiro use her name as the basis for his pen name. |
| Total | 46 | |
Fatal Failings
| Failing | Score | Reasoning |
|---|
| Recklessness | -4 | She underestimated Shiori, and is a tad impulsive over her love of manga. |
| Cowardice | 0 | She's very bold, so no worries here. |
| Anger | 0 | She doesn't get angry, so no worries here either. |
| Delicacy of Honor | -4 | She's a tad cocky, but not enough to worry. |
| Over-caring | -6 | She's very protective of Ichiro and his siblings, plus soon grows very close to Shiori. |
| Total | -14 | |
Final Assessment
Score: 32 (Highly capable, with slight flaws)
Reviewing the Results
This was an interesting group: virtuous and forthcoming, yet highly restricted by everything from deep insecurity to pride to ire. Given such a mix, it's no surprise their success rate is all over the place…yet that harkens back to what's been said all along: follow Sun Tzu, and you'll win; ignore him, and you'll lose.
A Galaxy Next Door Characters: Victory Factors Analysis
| Character | Morality | Weather | Terrain | Leadership | Preparation | Final Score |
|---|
| Shiori | 9 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 32 |
| Miyako | 0 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 18 |
| Ken | 5 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
| Ichiro | 10 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 29 |
| Machi | 7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 26 |
| Fumio | 10 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 26 |
| Chibi | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 35 |
| Moka | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 46 |
A Galaxy Next Door Characters: Fatal Failings Analysis
| Character | Recklessness | Cowardice | Anger | DOH | Over-caring | Final Score |
|---|
| Shiori | -9 | -5 | -1 | -3 | -7 | -25 |
| Miyako | -10 | -10 | -7 | -10 | -10 | -47 |
| Ken | -10 | -8 | -2 | -7 | -8 | -35 |
| Ichiro | -9 | -5 | -2 | -2 | -9 | -28 |
| Machi | -9 | -3 | -4 | -7 | -7 | -30 |
| Fumio | -7 | -5 | 0 | -2 | -7 | -21 |
| Chibi | -8 | -5 | -1 | -3 | -2 | -19 |
| Moka | -4 | 0 | 0 | -4 | -6 | -14 |
A Galaxy Next Door Characters: Final Scores
| Character | Final Score | Assessment |
|---|
| Shiori | 7 | Nightmare scenario |
| Miyako | -29 | Nightmare scenario |
| Ken | -16 | Nightmare scenario |
| Ichiro | 1 | Nightmare scenario |
| Machi | -4 | Nightmare scenario |
| Fumio | 5 | Nightmare scenario |
| Chibi | 16 | Great potential, yet deeply flawed |
| Moka | 32 | Highly capable, with slight flaws |
