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Author: jkbeta

Aug 28th 2012 at 2:47:19 PM

Ok, I'm looking for model character teams of exactly five characters right now that don't fit FiveManBand, so that we can find some good foil patterns for our examples. So far, I have:
* The SOS brigade from LightNovel.HaruhiSuzumiya
** Kyon and Haruhi form a SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl duo, and they clearly form the primary pair for most of the novels.
** We could say that Mikuru and Yuki count as TomboyAndGirlyGirl, 
** Itsuki is MisterExposition and thus mediates between the (theoretically) real-world Kyon/Haruhi duo and the paranormal Mikuru/Yuki duo. This only really fits in the first novel, though; the later novels keep the brigade dynamics in the background anyway, so that B5PT applies in name only.
* HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi: the problem here is that the group dynamics between the five main characters (Keiichi, Mion, Rena, Rika, Satoko) change around quite a bit depending on which part of the story we are talking about. Probably not a good example to extract explanations, but it would make a nice example of evolving team dynamics.

I'd love to have some western examples as well, but the only five-member team I can think of right now are the five riders of the apocalypse from Discworld, who don't really fit the pattern. The Firefly team is way too large, and my usual standby AubreyMaturin does not have a five-person team except via major shoehorning.

Edit: Name suggestions: Balanced Pairs Five, Balanced Five Person Team, Foil Pairs and Mediator

Edit 2: In a way, the foil pair - foil pair - mediator structure forms an ensemble as well. Can three-member ensemble tropes (e.g., Freudian Trio) apply here, and are there any examples of it? Or is it always the pair <- mediator -> pair structure implied above?