What is Manic Pixie Dream Girl?
Ko te Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) he tangata tauira i roto i ngā pūāhua—ka whakaaturia te nuinga hei tangata hē, motuhake, me te wairua herea-kore—ā, ko tana tino mahi ko te akiaki i tētahi tangata rangatira ake kia hurihia tōna oranga. E tohu ana te kupu i tētahi tangata kotahi-māramarama e noho ana hei mea hei whakatū mō te tupu o tētahi atu tangata.
Ko te kupu i hangaia e te kairuruku kiriata a Nathan Rabin i te tau 2007, ko te Manic Pixie Dream Girl e whakaatu ana i tētahi momo pūāhua pakiwaitara e kawe ana i te rangatira, i te tangata mārō, ki te whakaoho i te mōhiohio me te awaken o te ātamuri o te tangata, engari kāore ia i roto i te pūāhua i te ora ā-roto, te rangatiratanga, me ngā whāinga motuhake i roto i te pūrongo. Ko ngā tohu noa ake ko te aro ki ngā tikanga hāunga, te iti o ngā kōrero o mua, me ngā wāhanga e arotahi ana ki tōna pānga ki te rangatira ināianei, kāore ki ngā hiahia mōna ake. E kī ana ngā kaipūmau i ngā wāhanga o tēnei tropo: ka whakaiti te tangata ki tētahi mea o te pūrongo, ā, ka taea te whakakakahu i ngā tauira ira-ira. Ko ngā kaituhi me ngā kaihanga o te wā e nuia ana ki te whakatikatika, ki te whakamāramā, ki te karo i te MPDG mā te hoatu ki ēnei tangata ake he ūara, hapa, me ngā aronga ake mō rāua ake.
Usage example
Ngā pānui i whiria te arotou ā te mea i tētahi wā ko te wahine matua i roto i te pūrākā he MPDG: ka uru ia ki te oranga o te rangatira me ngā haerenga rereke, ā, he mōhio ki te kī i ngā mea e hiahia ana ia ki te whakarongo ki a ia hei whakataa i te hari, engari kāore te pukapuka i arotake i ōna whāinga ake i tua atu i te āwhina i a ia ki te whakahoki ki te hari.
Practical application
Ko te mārama ki te MPDG he mea nui ki ngā kaituhi, ki ngā kaihoahoa taupānga, me ngā pānui. Mō ngā kaihanga (tae atu ki ngā taupānga pūāhua ā-ipurangi), mā te mōhio ki tēnei tropo e āwhina ki te karo i ngā tūāhua aroha kotahi-māori, me te waihanga kōwhiringa pūāhua e whakaputa ana i te mana whakahaere o te kare-a-roto me ngā akoranga whai kiko. Mō ngā pānui me ngā kaihokohoko, ko ngā kōrero mō te tropo—nōna ake tīmatahia, ngā kōrero, me ngā whakatikatika—he huarahi tohutohu e ōrite ana ki ngā hapori romance me te ao #booktok.
FAQ
Is the Manic Pixie Dream Girl always a woman?
No — the core of the trope is the one-dimensional ‘catalyst’ role, not the character’s gender. Variations can appear as a Manic Pixie Dream Boy or nonbinary characters, but the key issue is whether the character has agency and a full inner life.
Is it wrong to like characters who remind you of an MPDG?
Not necessarily. Audiences can enjoy whimsical, life-affirming characters; the concern is when a character is only defined by how they help someone else. Well-written MPDG-like
characters can be vivid and fun while still having their own goals and growth.
How do I avoid writing an MPDG in my stories or interactive chapters?
Give the character clear desires, conflicts, and consequences independent of the protagonist. Show her backstory, let her make choices that affect the plot for reasons beyond inspiring someone else, and allow her to fail or change for her own sake.