It may be a case of naturally picked, but that doesn't mean that the dynamic is anymore interesting, that just means the plot at least excuses why Mallow is so underplayed. Keeping doing that in Gen 8 would make sense I guess, but that wouldn't justify keeping Mallow's presence any further if she's not going to contribute.
I also don't buy into the recklessness equals more slapstick rule. You can make more cerebral characters flawed and clownish as well, if anything they can be more fun due to their neuroses and their tendency to overthink everything (eg. Twilight Sparkle is as much a self tormenting butt monkey as Rainbow Dash in MLP). Add to that a lot of things just target Ash without his impulsiveness provoking it anyway. There is a reason some consider him a designated monkey because, while he isn't the target of EVERY joke, there's much more gags thatare specialised for just him or require his recklessness to be Flanderized, or alternatively make light on the fact he is being singled out for pain and humiliation, while in previous series there were usually at least a few more running gags and comical pathos moments for the other characters and their own deficiencies (there is Sophocles' bad shape and Lillie's phobia, though obviously the latter is gone).
One of Mallow's rare fun exceptions was the spa episode where Ash was actually instigating slapstick for once when she was playing a stick in the mud role. That was a rare fresh dynamic that could have made her more vibrant if used more often and let Ash's comedy be more versatile. I also loved Lillie's 'wrong genre savvy' role in the AF Poni episode. The Ultra Guardian episodes also tended to be fun for giving lots of characters moments bumbling around trying to figure out what to do in a characteristic fashion (though naturally Mallow and Lana usually got put in the background because they don't really have shtick for them).
It may not be gender discrimination directly (Hapu is flawed, and Olivia does slapstick, if in a much more forced way) but they do right now have a very bad pattern making the archetypes of the modern female companions that flexible and fun on their own (as said however Lillie is stop and go). This is arguably the first series where the male companions are dominating the limelight, with episodes they just skip the formalities and throw the girls out of the story altogether.
As said these are things that might debunk my own theory, but they still don't state why Mallow would be an ideal third companion for next series. I'd much prefer one that could maintain as much presence and agency and entertainment value as the other protagonists throughout, and there are far better candidates for that right now. Even the whole cooking angle could be done with more vibrancy with other characters.
I also don't buy into the recklessness equals more slapstick rule. You can make more cerebral characters flawed and clownish as well, if anything they can be more fun due to their neuroses and their tendency to overthink everything (eg. Twilight Sparkle is as much a self tormenting butt monkey as Rainbow Dash in MLP). Add to that a lot of things just target Ash without his impulsiveness provoking it anyway. There is a reason some consider him a designated monkey because, while he isn't the target of EVERY joke, there's much more gags thatare specialised for just him or require his recklessness to be Flanderized, or alternatively make light on the fact he is being singled out for pain and humiliation, while in previous series there were usually at least a few more running gags and comical pathos moments for the other characters and their own deficiencies (there is Sophocles' bad shape and Lillie's phobia, though obviously the latter is gone).
One of Mallow's rare fun exceptions was the spa episode where Ash was actually instigating slapstick for once when she was playing a stick in the mud role. That was a rare fresh dynamic that could have made her more vibrant if used more often and let Ash's comedy be more versatile. I also loved Lillie's 'wrong genre savvy' role in the AF Poni episode. The Ultra Guardian episodes also tended to be fun for giving lots of characters moments bumbling around trying to figure out what to do in a characteristic fashion (though naturally Mallow and Lana usually got put in the background because they don't really have shtick for them).
It may not be gender discrimination directly (Hapu is flawed, and Olivia does slapstick, if in a much more forced way) but they do right now have a very bad pattern making the archetypes of the modern female companions that flexible and fun on their own (as said however Lillie is stop and go). This is arguably the first series where the male companions are dominating the limelight, with episodes they just skip the formalities and throw the girls out of the story altogether.
As said these are things that might debunk my own theory, but they still don't state why Mallow would be an ideal third companion for next series. I'd much prefer one that could maintain as much presence and agency and entertainment value as the other protagonists throughout, and there are far better candidates for that right now. Even the whole cooking angle could be done with more vibrancy with other characters.
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