Bianca (Dragon Quest)

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Bianca
Dragon Quest character
Bianca in Dragon Quest V
First appearanceDragon Quest V (1992)
Designed byAkira Toriyama
Voiced byKasumi Arimura (film)

Bianca (ビアンカ) is a character in the 1992 video game Dragon Quest V. She is one of the main characters, accompanying the hero as a small child on a quest. She meets him 10 years later, and the hero may choose to marry either her or another woman. In the Super Famicom version, the choice is between Bianca and Nera, though the Nintendo DS version adds a sister of Nera's as an option called Debora. If chosen, she eventually gives birth to two children, a boy and a girl, accompanying them and the hero to defeat the main antagonist, Grandmaster Nimzo. Her design was created by designer Akira Toriyama. She also appears in Dragon Quest: Your Story, voiced by Kasumi Arimura.

Bianca has received generally positive reception, considered one of the best female Dragon Quest characters. The option between Bianca and Nera has been a debate for decades since Dragon Quest V's release decades back, with critics and fans debating who was the better option. Polls tend to show similar rates of support for one or the other, with Bianca or Nera being number one depending on the poll.

Concept and creation[edit]

Bianca's design was created for Dragon Quest V by Akira Toriyama.[1] When making Bianca's design for the film Dragon Quest: Your Story, the designers aimed to make her more "spunky," aiming to make her stand out and be more than a "pretty girl." They also gave her freckles to reflect this further. They changed her hair to make it more tussled to display her tomboyishness more. Her outfit, which is based on her outfit from Dragon Quest V, made her more armor-like to make her seem more like she could fight monsters.[2] She is voiced by Kasumi Arimura,[3] According to the director, Takashi Yamazaki, Arimura was cast because she has an older-sister vibe while being kind, which he felt matched Bianca.[4] When discussing Bianca's role in the story, Arimura noted that Bianca seemed like she was more ahead on things than the hero, Luca, and thus incorporated that into her performance.[5]

Appearances[edit]

Bianca first appeared in Dragon Quest V. In it, she appears as a little girl who meets the hero. They eventually find a Sabrecub being bullied by a pair of children. Bianca and the hero agree to defeat the ghosts at Uptaten Towers in order to save the Sabrecub, receiving a Gold Orb in the process. Bianca names the Sabrecub Saber, but gives it to the hero, as her parents wouldn't let her keep it. They depart, with the hero's father eventually being killed by a monster named Ladja and the hero put into slavery. Meanwhile, Bianca's mother died and her father had little time to live, forcing Bianca to provide for him. After escaping slavery, at some point, the hero is sent on a quest to gather the Circle of Fire and Circle of Water, which are required to earn the hand of Nera, the daughter of a wealthy man. He happens upon Bianca during this quest, and her father tells him that she was adopted, and asking him to take care of her. She helps him search for the Circle of Water, hoping to quest with him as they did as children.

When they return to Nera with both items, Nera realizes Bianca has feelings for the hero, and asks the hero to choose between the two of them (three in the Nintendo DS version with Nera's sister, Debora) despite Bianca's protests that that's not the case. If anyone but Bianca is chosen, she returns home, single, but having love for the hero still. If she is chosen, however, she reveals that she loves him, The two continue their journey, though eventually, they discover that Bianca has become pregnant. Bianca stays behind during this, while the hero performs a ritual of passage to take over as the leader of Gotha in his late father's place. After returning from this quest, Bianca goes into labor, giving birth to twins, a boy and a girl.

During the coronation, Bianca is kidnapped, though the children manage to avoid being kidnapped as well. When the hero goes to save her, Ladja returns, turning both to stone, revealing that Bianca is the descendant of the Legendary Hero, and that he wanted to prevent her from having offspring. The two remain stuck as statues for 10 years. The two are separated when they are assumed to be statues. The hero, eventually being cured of his fate, begins the search with his children to find Bianca, eventually discovering her at the temple he was enslaved at. They defeated the priest of the tower, and used a Ring of Life to turn her back to normal. The four of them then defeat Ladja and his leader, Grandmaster Nimzo.

Bianca appears alongside Nera in Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below, where both venture out into the world before the day that the hero proposes in Dragon Quest V.[6] Bianca also appears alongside Nera in the mobile game Itadaki Street MOBILE.[7] She appears as a playable character in Fortune Street.[8]

Bianca appears in the film adaptation of Dragon Quest V titled Dragon Quest: Your Story.

A mango and kiwi yogurt parfait based on Bianca was featured at Luida's Bar, in collaboration between Dragon Quest and Karaoke Pasera.[9] A jacket featuring Biance and her Sabrecub was released by Graniph.[10]

Reception[edit]

Bianca is a popular character in Dragon Quest, ranked as the second-best female character in the series in an IT Media reader poll.[11] She later ranked number one in a 2024 poll by IT Media of readers, with IT Media writer Niija noting that Bianca has appeal from both her being the hero's childhood friend and their eventual reunion.[12] Final Fantasy XVI director Kazutoyo Maehiro noted that Bianca served as an inspiration for certain elements of Jill Warrick, a character in that game.[13] Character designer D.K. noted that he had difficulty designing the character model for Kainé, causing producer Yosuke Saito, someone who worked on Dragon Quest, to incorporate Bianca's design into Kainé's.[14]

Bianca is notable for her involvement in a decades-long debate of who the best wife to choose in Dragon Quest V is, and Bianca and Nera are said by IT Media to have kept Dragon Quest V popular.[15][16] In an examination of tweets made by the three fanbases - Bianca, Nera, and Debora - Bianca was found to have the most tweets about her, the author also noting that there were fewer negative comments about her than Nera.[17] IT Media staff discussed how he always chooses Bianca, and any attempt to do so otherwise always fails. Writer Kurt Kalata discussed this rivalry, noting how Bianca was significantly more interesting than the other option, Nera, arguing that the game is still weighted in Bianca's favor despite attempts in the Nintendo DS version to make Nera more appealing.[18] RPGamer writer Erik van Asselt felt similarly, citing her hair and her being the hero's childhood friend, among other traits. Her being the hero's childhood friend was also appealing to RPGamer writer Corey Scoggins. Fellow RPGamer writer Elmon Dean Todd had various reasons for his choice, including her being a childhood friend, hair, personality, and gameplay reasons. However, he also felt that this was the happiest outcome, as Nera would still get married to someone if you don't choose her, while Bianca is "single and lonely."[19] GameSpot staff identified the relationship between the hero and Bianca as one of the best video game love stories, calling her the clear choice between the marriage options.[20] In a poll of IT Media readers, Bianca was ranked as the second best marriage option in Dragon Quest V, above Deborah and below Nera. IT Media writer Dopey noted that fans seemed to choose her based on her being a childhood friend and having a friendly personality.[21]

A writer for Den Fami Nico Gamer discussed how all of their friends chose Bianca, and when they chose Nera, they expressed confusion and suggested they lacked empathy for not picking Bianca due to their backstory. They explained their case, namely the gameplay advantages and attractiveness of Nera, but they were not moved. Later, they decided that they did lack empathy, as they put visual and mechanical value over the story value of marrying Bianca. To rectify this, they decided to do a new playthrough where he chooses Bianca instead, suggesting that players playing with emotion would choose Bianca.[22] Writer Mitsuzu Ogawa discussed how people can take a lesson from Bianca's willingness to sacrifice her happiness for the person she loves, and how people should take a step back and think about who our words benefit.[23] Inside Games staff discussed how experiencing the loneliness of traveling alone, as the hero does, helps make people into Bianca fans, suggesting that players may recount their experiences with her as a child. They also praised the portrayal of Bianca in the Dragon Quest V novelization, feeling that it captured the feeling of a girls' manga.[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Clewis, Mercedez (February 17, 2020). "Square Enix Is Making Dragon Quest V Bring Arts Figures". Siliconera. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  2. ^ Wong, Alistair (August 1, 2019). "Dragon Quest: Your Story Co-Directors On Lucas, Nera, And Bianca's Designs". Siliconera. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  3. ^ "「ドラクエ5」原案の映画、声優陣が豪華すぎる 主人公は佐藤健、山田孝之は「あの役」で". The Huffington Post. April 4, 2019. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  4. ^ "映画ドラクエ、山崎貴総監督が語るCVに俳優を起用する理由「実写になっても違和感のないキャストを」". Excite. July 29, 2019. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  5. ^ "5.27は＜ドラゴンクエストの日＞映画最新場面カット＆佐藤健らコメント到着". Crank In. May 27, 2019. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  6. ^ Sato (February 16, 2015). "Why Both Dragon Quest V Brides, Bianca And Nera, Are In Dragon Quest Heroes". Siliconera. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  7. ^ "『いたスト モバイル』に『ドラクエV』のビアンカ＆フローラ登場". Dengeki Online. July 1, 2008. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  8. ^ "The Dragon Quest & Mario Characters In Fortune Street". Siliconera. June 16, 2011. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  9. ^ "「ルイーダの酒場」にDQVよりビアンカ，フローラ，デボラをイメージした期間限定メニューが登場". 4gamer. March 24, 2021. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  10. ^ "グラニフ×ドラクエのコラボ第2弾、魔王の刺繍コーチジャケットやキラーパンサー＆ビアンカのパーカー". Fashion Press. December 6, 2021. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  11. ^ Takahashi, Manabu (February 28, 2022). "【DQ】「ドラゴンクエスト」の主要女性キャラクター人気ランキングTOP20！　「ビアンカ」を上回る1位は？【2022年最新投票結果】". IT Media. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  12. ^ Niija (February 20, 2024). "【ドラゴンクエスト】好きな「ドラクエ」の主要女性キャラクターランキングTOP21！　第1位は「ビアンカ（V）」【2024年最新投票結果】". IT Media. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  13. ^ Krabbe, Esra (May 22, 2023). "Final Fantasy XVI's Story was inspired by Dragon Quest V". IGN. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  14. ^ "モデルは『ドラクエV』のビアンカ？『ニーア レプリカント』カイネの裏話をキャラデザ・D.K氏が明かす". Inside Games. February 14, 2024. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  15. ^ "なぜ「ドラクエV」はここまで「語られる」のか？　"ビアンカフローラ論争"がいつまでも終わらない理由と「ドラクエV」というゲームの巧妙さ". IT Media. August 18, 2019. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  16. ^ "【DQ】「女性キャラクターがかわいい」と思う「ドラゴンクエスト」シリーズ作品ランキングTOP11！　第1位は「ドラゴンクエストV 天空の花嫁」に決定！【2022年最新投票結果】". IT Media. August 19, 2022. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  17. ^ "ドラクエV原案の映画「ドラゴンクエスト　ユア・ストーリー」　期待する結婚相手はビアンカ？　フローラ？". IT Media. February 14, 2019. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  18. ^ Kalata, Kurt (February 3, 2008). "The History of Dragon Quest". Game Developer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  19. ^ Asselt, Erik van; Scoggins, Corey; Todd, Elmon Dean (November 10, 2020). "Why Did Ya Date Me? Dragon Quest V Edition". RPGamer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  20. ^ "14 Great Love Stories From Video Games". GameSpot. March 11, 2019. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  21. ^ Dopey (December 2, 2021). "【ドラクエ5】花嫁候補キャラクター人気ランキングTOP3！　第1位は「フローラ」に決定！【2021年最新投票結果】". IT Media. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  22. ^ "思いっきり感情移入しながら『ドラクエV』をプレイしたら絶対にビアンカを選ぶ【PR】". Den Fami Nico Gamer. December 27, 2018. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  23. ^ Ogawa, Mitsuzu (May 26, 2023). "私が『ドラクエ５』でビアンカを選んでしまう理由。あの名言がいじらしい…！". Numan. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  24. ^ "「ビアンカ」はなぜ名ヒロインと言われるのか？ 『ドラクエ』ストーリーテリングに恵まれた姉さん女房の魅力". Inside Games. October 31, 2021. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
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