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Introduction

It's been over three weeks since I written a blog post despite the fact I told multiple people in the comments of a previous post I would return shortly. I'm really sorry about that; stuff came up and it messed with the schedule I had planned. Hopefully, I'll do better starting now. We'll see, though.

Well, that's all I really have to say, so I'll proceed into the article itself.

Analysis

If there was an award for the most underappreciated character in the show, Anais would definitely be a contender for it, alongside Tina Rex . I suppose some of it has to do with her surface-level characterization; superficially, she is the "super smart little sister", an archetype that does not appeal to many people for one reason or another. Top it off with her constant need to assert her superiority in the first season, and many people are turned away from the character. It's a shame too, because Anais is quite the character if I say so myself.

For me and several others, I think the thing that makes Anais such a great character (at least from Season 2 onwards) is that she is a kid that happens to be a genius. There is a subtle yet crucial difference between a genius who happens to be a kid and a kid who happens to be a genius. A genius who happens to be a kid would be a character such as Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory; he behaves well beyond his years and seldom finds himself bothered by typical kid dilemmas due to his involvement in his studies (there are exceptions, I know). If a problem does arise, it comes from him being limited in what he can do because he is kid. Meanwhile, Anais is a little girl who falls victim to irritating siblings, social standings, and small pleasantries such as Daisy the Donkey or A Pony's Tail. Anais's intelligence can help her overcome some of these issues, but it's not a primary character trait. There's a difference to the way the two characters are structured, and the fact that characters such as Anais are few and far between in media only make her more appealing.

Social incompetence is nothing new to "genius-kid" characters. However, what makes Anais's awkwardness different from other genius characters comes back to the fundamentals of her character. Instead of isolating herself from others like other characters of her intelligence, Anais actively yearns to have somebody to call a friend. Her problems arise from her unorthodox approaches to connecting with her peers rather than a distaste of people all together. "The Parasite" is a perfect example of this; both her older brothers' misunderstanding and the climax come back to Anais being overly clingy to Jodie. Similarly, the meat of "The Friend" derives from Anais's earnest attempt to be friendly, no matter how awkward it may be for bystanders.

Anais's social ineptitude is used to make her more relatable and more akin to a typical grade-school kid looking for friends rather than an engaged scholar deep into her studies. It makes her feel more real and authentic than most "genius characters"; her poor social skills ensure she's on a relatively equal playing ground with her colleagues and that she doesn't stick out.

Anais's occasional need for attention compliments her awkward nature quite nicely given that Anais is a kid that happens to be a genius. "The Pony" is perfect in that regard; Anais is placed in a situation in which all she craves is some quality time with brothers Gumball and Darwin. She is placed into a peril all too similar to that of younger siblings' trying to hang out with their older siblings. It's an ordeal that invokes all sorts of emotions out of her as well as one that makes her vulnerable like most children that suffer through this situation.

Similarly, "The Copycats" has Anais questioning her place in the family after discovering Miracle Star failed to her include her in the show. Although initially she's quick to snark and downplay the problem, she eventually comes to the realization that she hates the emptiness that comes with being excluded. While most "genius characters" would not attend themselves to such squabbles, Anais succumbs to feeling that comes with being excluded, like most little kids would.

Both episodes really emphasize the childish aspect of her character. Instead of ignoring the her crave for attention for the sake of appearing more intelligent and superior, Anais openly expresses her disdain for feeling left out and shows that she's not above appealing to her more immature traits simply because she is smart.

I suppose Anais's character may be a real turn-off for some; a little kid and genius rolled into one character may sound awful due to the tropes associated with both traits. However, the unique philosophy Anais's character is built off of makes her one of the more unique characters in Gumball. There is not going to be a character quite like Anais for a while, and it really is something to appreciate.

Closing Notes

This post is not as focused on the comedy as my post about Darwin, but I think it turned out nicely nonetheless.

As for other characters, I will do my best to get to them. I know both Carrie Krueger and Nicole Watterson popped up in my comment section, so once I find something to discuss about them, I will do my best to tackle them.

My big project is still happening. Just give it time; it'll come soon enough.