by Mistress Guendolen » Mon Nov 07, 2005 10:17 pm
Here's one for you. It occurred to me a while back, as I was doing some research on the magical girl genre. It popped into my head in relation to reading about the series Tokyo Mew Mew, which I doubt I'll ever see and subsequently won't be running an rpg. But what I was thinking was Project: America or better still, Project: International. Here's how I see it. Whatever opponent it is they're fighting finally develops some sense and realizes striking Japan is stupid, because they'll always get defeated by the Mew Mew girls. But they still want to do nefarious things to earth. So they strike out at OTHER COUNTRIES! I'm going to be ethnocentric and use the U.S. as an example because it's so big. I'm assuming that the scientists who created the whole DNA-spliced powers thing would probably have some internaional contacts in the scientific community. This is fairly normal. So when the reports of weirdo things hit the news, they realize what's going on and get on the wire to their buddies in whatever area the monsters of the week decide to strike. These guys set out to find likely girls to make local defenders.
The good part for a U.S. setting to start with is that it's a large and varied country, so anyone who still wants a Japanese character can have one; by the same token, we're not all playing a foreign culture. Besides, multiple cells of defenders might be needed, thus offering more character opportunities (seeing as the typical defender group seems to number at about five). Heck, you can even establish international cells in other countries if you want to get adventurous. Certain motifs will naturally stay the same, such as picking a specific animal to be spliced with, (you can still be a mew by including periodic cats in the group or groups; there are certainly enough varieties out there) and also having some sort of associated food product as a power-up and naming pattern. I've noticed certain motifs in costumes, as well- they all seem to have a mainly solid colored outfit, with secondary colored piping, and it has a basic streamlined quality with at least two extra seams, detached "puff" sleeves, a garter/leg band, a choker with a medallion on it, and boots. All but one each have a strapless neckline and gloves/wrist decorations. Keeping these motifs in mind (except for the boots; footwear can be fiddled with), players can design original costumes instead of copying a character who came before.
However, one key thing will need to change. I saw how their cover is a cafe/coffeshop place where they all waitress. I dont know about Japanese labor laws, but that won't work in this country, at least not at that age; a twelve year old won't be able to pull off a job unless it's helping in a familial business. So you'll need to either increase characters' starting ages (I would recommend doing that by at least a year or two, anyway, if you don't want to bump it all the way up to sixteen) or find some alternative, like a club or whatever. Admittedly there are dangers there; others might try to join, and while a cafe can say not hiring, a club will need a good reason to turn away new members. Said new members would be at risk of an attack or finding out the truth. I guess you could do some sort of charity shop, like a permanent bake sale that donates proceeds to a cause of club, and that could use cute uniforms or something, but that's up to the designer, not me.
I just ask one more thing: if anyone ever decides to run this, please let me know. I would like to take part, so long as knowledge of the actual series isn't required. As I was doing research, a germ of a character reared up and demanded I draw her, and I'd like to be able to use the concept.... Also, if anyone wants to find a symbolic name for their animal and/or food item, I can point them in the direction of name and language sites or even send/post lists of names I've made up with different themes, for ease of looking them up. Thanks for putting up with all my rattling-on, and I hope someday someone decides to run this.