Big Things Come in Small Packages

Come in =3

Hello everybody, and welcome back to Tiro Finale. In keeping with the topic of lolis this week, I'll be going over a few characters which punch well above what their size and/or age might otherwise suggest. I will be skipping over a lot of popular shows here, but you may take this list as my low-key recommendation to check out each of these entries, not necessarily because they are instant classics or anything, but each of them are competently produced and have enough strengths that you might find them to your liking. Let's begin with something simple...

Kafuu Chino -Is the Order a Rabbit?

Image courtesy of the fantastic KitaharaTomoe

The proprietress and main barista of the cafe Rabbit House. Very mature and responsible for her age, Chino's personality is represented by the beverage her name is based on. Like the Italian caffeinated beverage made from double espresso and steamed milk foam, Chino's serious, mature and mostly deadpan disposition is balanced out by the occasional childishness more expected of someone her age. Other than being plain adorable, she is a capable barista who can identify coffee strains from smell alone and perform accurate fortune-telling using cappuccinos. 

Children should take their vegetables if they want to grow XD

Hiiragi Shinoa - Owari no Seraph

The youngest child of the ruling Hiiragi family, Shinoa is mere Sergeant in the Imperial Demon Army by choice (to avoid family politics) and the leader of the protagonists' squad. Sarcastic, apathetic and yet proud, her constant sardonic dry humor makes her a hilarious savage, inflicting sick burns on anyone and everyone near her. Combined with the fantastic performance by her suiyuu Hayami Saori, she easily steals most of the scenes she appears in. A level-headed and tactical leader, she herself is a more than capable fighter as a mere human, though that often means little against the near godlike vampires. Also, she is too short to driv-

Reizei Mako - Girls und Panzer

Not many people can lay claim to competently drive a Panzer IV on the first try after skimming through the instruction manual, but this little shrimp can! The lazy and literally anemic narcoleptic can be difficult to get on the field, but there few more trustworthy to pilot a tank than the cool, calm and collected Mako (or is she just sleepy?) , pulling of sick jukes and risky drifts aplenty without the everpresent risk of trowing off the tracks. Why does she do it? I do not know, but the results are spectacular nonetheless.

Preach!

Tanya von Degurechaff - Youjo Senki

Now I can't really do the list without this entry. A sociopathic Japanese salaryman that was reborn into the body of a young girl in an alternate European World War I setting, Tanya acts every bit the role of the ideal soldier: a strict disciplinarian than cares for her men, a ludicrous strong and effective soldier with unflinching courage, unquestionable loyalty, a sound tactical mind and yet humble. The flip side to that is her outright sociopathic personality. Cold and calculating, Tanya sees anyone and anything as things of potential value to use to her advantage, which makes her good strategic thinking, selecting and cultivating talent for her own ends. She's of course intending it all to end with her getting a safe, cushy seat in high command. But well, in war, if you're good at a job, you keep gettin' the job, as they say.  Tanya's foray into both World Wars will be quite the long one indeed.

Toudou Kirin -Asterisk War

The super rookie, the Shippuu Jinrai (疾風刃雷), Kirin stormed Seidokan Academy's leaderboards (one that goes up to University level) to clinch Rank 1 in her first year there at age 13. Her unassuming appearance and even meeker personality belies a fearsome contender in the field. In a place where spellcasters, high tech guns and physics defying Orga Luxes (think magical legendary artifact weapons) reign supreme in the top tier, Kirin nonetheless holds her own with nothing but peerless swordplay, fancy footwork, and a metal katana. While not quite on the level of the true monsters Asterisk, considering her young age and later *spoilers* her acquisition of her own Orga Lux, she will no doubt be quite the terrifying monster in the coming years, quite befitting her name.

Nogi Sonoko - Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru series

This easygoing, unpredictable, cloud cuckoo lander ball of quirky energy is  a lot of fun to watch, and you can tell Hanazawa Kana is having an absolute blast every moment along the way. Her devil may care attitude and constant hijinks however belies a truly steadfast character and terrifying intellect, able to formulate strategies and shot call in seconds when on the field. Likely the the most powerful Hero that will ever be fielded by the Taisha, I doubt many can claim to *spoilers* have soloed all 12 vertexes in a single encounter, after all. Amusingly enough, she's also a romance author and resident shipper-in-chief, actively shipping her allies for her own amusement and useful book material.

And that's it for this week's less than serious post. Hope you found some enjoyment out of it and have a great day!