Marie Parfacy is FECKING AWESOME
I come today in the defense of Gundam 00’s Marie Parfacy. I’ve grown rather annoyed with how ridiculous the bashing can get, so I finally just thought I’d post here. Really, it gets ridiculous how sometimes she is treated as a throwaway character just because she came in at Season 2 and 'supposedly' does nothing. So, I thought I'd write up a post of stuff to explain why she is in fact awesome.
One of the main points against Marie is that she went from awesome as Soma to just the ‘house wife’. This is completely 100% wrong. Let me give some examples.
Marie at all times from episode 8 onward is trying to show her use. In fact, she does. In nearly episode she does something of value and does not just sit around doing nothing. In episode 9 she and Allelujah are shown participating in a conversation with Lyle and Tieria. No big deal right? Wrong. By the end of the episode a mission/battle/escape occurs and Marie volunteers along with Saji to be as useful as possible. She ends up monitoring and passing information just like Saji all through the episode. Episode 10 is most likely what people are thinking of when they think of waifu- because through this episode she simply sits down and then discusses things with Saji. However this whole episode is devoted to pretty much nothing except conversation and discussion. However even in this episode she shows a reaction to oncoming enemies and her quantum brainwaves react justly- this alerts Allelujah to the enemy just moment before the system is able to catch it. Even though in this episode she does little, her abilities are established justly and it shows how capable she is when it comes to quantum brainwaves, as opposed to Soma who seemed to act less on her quantum brainwaves analysis abilities (only seeming to do so in conversation with louise) and more on her fighting skills.
In episode 11, Marie and Saji are again volunteering in the battle. Rather than sit around and wait for Allelujah to just take care of her, she establishes she’s going to do whatever it takes. Not to mention in episode 10 some of her ‘just talking’ was her own statement that she was prepared to fight if it was necessary because she had been a soldier before. Marie is not stupid- she never says she won’t fight or that she would prefer not to. She judges what her use is and does what people ask of her to do and tries to be useful. She doesn’t just sit around and wait to be told, she actively participates even when the battles are over in attempt to be useful in every way possible. In episode 12 when there is no more fighting she is carrying around food and generally doing small but useful things. Saji does not even go to this extent, rather letting his anguish over come him. Marie however decides that she will make herself useful.
In episode 13 Marie is probably one of the most important characters. I say this because without Marie and Lyle specifically doing their jobs, the crew of the Ptolemy would likely be dead. Using her sensitive quantum brainwaves she is able to detect the right time to use Trans Am. It is because she has this ability and that she is willing to fight that the Ptolemy is able to get through the mission. Lyle is another important person in this mission- because he is able to hit the Momento Mori with a single shot and destroy it. Lyle’s skills and accuracy destroy it, and Marie’s quantum brainwave perception save their lives by enabling trans am in the right time. She is so important Sumeragi knows she shouldn’t ask her to do it, she even apologizes to Allelujah for doing so, but she knows it’s something she has to do. In episode 14 Allelujah is angry with Sumeragi, never once expressing anger at Marie mind you, and Marie is never once seen arguing or wasting time or doing nothing. The ship is in bad state and she’s carrying around food again trying to be useful while everyone else talks and tries to figure out a way to repair everything. Even Lyle is just chatting with Anew- but Marie isn’t talking to Allelujah, she’s trying to make herself useful and help out.
In 15 the entire ship is in deep trouble, and what does Marie do? She does what is most useful- she offers to fight. In fact, Marie would have fought in this episode were it not for the Coup De’ tat that occurred and made the enemies retreat. Marie stated explicitly she would fight before, and she shows no hesitation now. (This shows Allelujah probably never got mad at her or voiced heavy concerns when it came to what SHE wanted, just when other’s forced her to fight) She isn’t some helpless victim, she shows she is ready to fight and she’s not afraid to do what is needed of her. No, she isn’t always fighting. She’s doing whatever she can. She’s helping out on the ship, she’s helping on the bridge during fights, she’s using her quantum brainwaves to help, she’s ready and willing to fight- does that sound useless to you? It shouldn’t, because it isn’t. Marie is able to understand the necessity of more than just fighting.
Finally, in episode 17 Marie herself goes out to try and shoot down wreckage from the Orbital Elevator. She realizes it’s not even really a battle, it’s just something endangering everyone’s lives and something she has to try her best to stop. Marie decides for herself what is the best she can do in the situation, and in this situation it’s piloting a mobile suit because she know she can help.
Now here’s where Soma takes over, episode 18, and let me do a comparison to emphasize Marie’s usage in comparison to Soma’s. Soma is so angry and vengeful that she is in control again. Her only goal is to defeat Andrei. She no longer thinks about what can be done to help anyone on board, she’s only thinking about herself. It’s not about what will win the battle. It’s about what will defeat Andrei Smirnov and allow her to exact revenge for Sergei. This is bad. Marie showed dedication and devotion and willingness to help out everyone on board, not just Allelujah. She showed compassion to everyone and would do anything she could to help. When Soma isn’t fighting she’s brooding and angry- consumed by her hatred. She rushed into battle outside of their perimeters, tries to chase down retreated enemies. She’s not thinking clearly. Soma isn’t more useful just because she fights more. If anything, at times she is a hindurance and a distraction. She’s so set on killing Andrei she makes Allelujah become unnecessarily distracted, especially when he notes she breaks the battle perimeters and just goes charging in the dark to find Andrei.
In one final note, let’s talk about her experience as a human. Marie is not 12 mentally. She stated herself she recalls everything Soma does and even her personality. Allelujah experienced everything Hallelujah did- and Allelujah himself compared his situation with Marie’s. Saying Marie is underdeveloped and wasn’t in existence makes no sense. She was simply unable to infer her will upon Soma and instead was a bystander, much like in episode 10 of Season 1 where Hallelujah murdered someone cruelly while Allelujah begged him to stop.
So in conclusion- stop the bashing. Marie Parfacy is a useful thoughtful character who not only was developed (helpful, devoted- loving, passionate, come on guys) but she DID stuff. She did things that weren’t always charging into battle. She did whatever was needed of her and she was willing to do it with a smile and peppy attitude. She wasn’t just Allelujah’s “waifu”.
One of the main points against Marie is that she went from awesome as Soma to just the ‘house wife’. This is completely 100% wrong. Let me give some examples.
Marie at all times from episode 8 onward is trying to show her use. In fact, she does. In nearly episode she does something of value and does not just sit around doing nothing. In episode 9 she and Allelujah are shown participating in a conversation with Lyle and Tieria. No big deal right? Wrong. By the end of the episode a mission/battle/escape occurs and Marie volunteers along with Saji to be as useful as possible. She ends up monitoring and passing information just like Saji all through the episode. Episode 10 is most likely what people are thinking of when they think of waifu- because through this episode she simply sits down and then discusses things with Saji. However this whole episode is devoted to pretty much nothing except conversation and discussion. However even in this episode she shows a reaction to oncoming enemies and her quantum brainwaves react justly- this alerts Allelujah to the enemy just moment before the system is able to catch it. Even though in this episode she does little, her abilities are established justly and it shows how capable she is when it comes to quantum brainwaves, as opposed to Soma who seemed to act less on her quantum brainwaves analysis abilities (only seeming to do so in conversation with louise) and more on her fighting skills.
In episode 11, Marie and Saji are again volunteering in the battle. Rather than sit around and wait for Allelujah to just take care of her, she establishes she’s going to do whatever it takes. Not to mention in episode 10 some of her ‘just talking’ was her own statement that she was prepared to fight if it was necessary because she had been a soldier before. Marie is not stupid- she never says she won’t fight or that she would prefer not to. She judges what her use is and does what people ask of her to do and tries to be useful. She doesn’t just sit around and wait to be told, she actively participates even when the battles are over in attempt to be useful in every way possible. In episode 12 when there is no more fighting she is carrying around food and generally doing small but useful things. Saji does not even go to this extent, rather letting his anguish over come him. Marie however decides that she will make herself useful.
In episode 13 Marie is probably one of the most important characters. I say this because without Marie and Lyle specifically doing their jobs, the crew of the Ptolemy would likely be dead. Using her sensitive quantum brainwaves she is able to detect the right time to use Trans Am. It is because she has this ability and that she is willing to fight that the Ptolemy is able to get through the mission. Lyle is another important person in this mission- because he is able to hit the Momento Mori with a single shot and destroy it. Lyle’s skills and accuracy destroy it, and Marie’s quantum brainwave perception save their lives by enabling trans am in the right time. She is so important Sumeragi knows she shouldn’t ask her to do it, she even apologizes to Allelujah for doing so, but she knows it’s something she has to do. In episode 14 Allelujah is angry with Sumeragi, never once expressing anger at Marie mind you, and Marie is never once seen arguing or wasting time or doing nothing. The ship is in bad state and she’s carrying around food again trying to be useful while everyone else talks and tries to figure out a way to repair everything. Even Lyle is just chatting with Anew- but Marie isn’t talking to Allelujah, she’s trying to make herself useful and help out.
In 15 the entire ship is in deep trouble, and what does Marie do? She does what is most useful- she offers to fight. In fact, Marie would have fought in this episode were it not for the Coup De’ tat that occurred and made the enemies retreat. Marie stated explicitly she would fight before, and she shows no hesitation now. (This shows Allelujah probably never got mad at her or voiced heavy concerns when it came to what SHE wanted, just when other’s forced her to fight) She isn’t some helpless victim, she shows she is ready to fight and she’s not afraid to do what is needed of her. No, she isn’t always fighting. She’s doing whatever she can. She’s helping out on the ship, she’s helping on the bridge during fights, she’s using her quantum brainwaves to help, she’s ready and willing to fight- does that sound useless to you? It shouldn’t, because it isn’t. Marie is able to understand the necessity of more than just fighting.
Finally, in episode 17 Marie herself goes out to try and shoot down wreckage from the Orbital Elevator. She realizes it’s not even really a battle, it’s just something endangering everyone’s lives and something she has to try her best to stop. Marie decides for herself what is the best she can do in the situation, and in this situation it’s piloting a mobile suit because she know she can help.
Now here’s where Soma takes over, episode 18, and let me do a comparison to emphasize Marie’s usage in comparison to Soma’s. Soma is so angry and vengeful that she is in control again. Her only goal is to defeat Andrei. She no longer thinks about what can be done to help anyone on board, she’s only thinking about herself. It’s not about what will win the battle. It’s about what will defeat Andrei Smirnov and allow her to exact revenge for Sergei. This is bad. Marie showed dedication and devotion and willingness to help out everyone on board, not just Allelujah. She showed compassion to everyone and would do anything she could to help. When Soma isn’t fighting she’s brooding and angry- consumed by her hatred. She rushed into battle outside of their perimeters, tries to chase down retreated enemies. She’s not thinking clearly. Soma isn’t more useful just because she fights more. If anything, at times she is a hindurance and a distraction. She’s so set on killing Andrei she makes Allelujah become unnecessarily distracted, especially when he notes she breaks the battle perimeters and just goes charging in the dark to find Andrei.
In one final note, let’s talk about her experience as a human. Marie is not 12 mentally. She stated herself she recalls everything Soma does and even her personality. Allelujah experienced everything Hallelujah did- and Allelujah himself compared his situation with Marie’s. Saying Marie is underdeveloped and wasn’t in existence makes no sense. She was simply unable to infer her will upon Soma and instead was a bystander, much like in episode 10 of Season 1 where Hallelujah murdered someone cruelly while Allelujah begged him to stop.
So in conclusion- stop the bashing. Marie Parfacy is a useful thoughtful character who not only was developed (helpful, devoted- loving, passionate, come on guys) but she DID stuff. She did things that weren’t always charging into battle. She did whatever was needed of her and she was willing to do it with a smile and peppy attitude. She wasn’t just Allelujah’s “waifu”.