Gender Equal Ensemble: Difference between revisions

[[File:RomanMysteriesBBC_copy_1626RomanMysteriesBBC copy 1626.jpg|link=The Roman Mysteries (TV series)|frame| Four [[Kid Detective|Kid Detectives]]s in ''[[The Roman Mysteries (TV series)|Roman Mysteries]]'']]

A [['''Gender Equal Ensemble]]''' is an ensemble, team, band, family or other group of main characters, consisting of at least four members, that has the exact same number of males as it does females. This is normally done for either for reasons of advancing gender equality, attempting to appeal equally to both male and female demographics, or for reasons of balance and symmetry. If the characters are not [[Incest Is Relative|related to each other]] it can sometimes make it easier to [[Pair the Spares]]. In a family scenario, this will often take the form of having a father, a mother, a son and a daughter, so that each standard role in a nuclear family has a representative.

The [[Six-Student Clique]] is often a subtrope of this.

Compare [[The Chick]], [[Two Guys and a Girl]], [[Four-Girl Ensemble]], [[Affirmative Action Girl]]. Contrast [[The Smurfette Principle]], [[The One Guy]].

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{{examples|Examples }}

* ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' has a primary cast of seven men (Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Wu Fei, Zechs, and Treize), and seven women (Relena, Hilde, Catherine, Dorothy, Sally, Noin, and Lady Une). Each of these characters also has a close relationship or strong bond with someone on the opposite sex list, making up the most common (non-gay) fan pairings; some of them are even [[Official Couple|Official Couples]]s.

* [[Monica's Gang]] - Two boys (Jimmy Five and Smudge) and two girls (Monica and Maggy)

* ''[[The Berenstain Bears]]'' - For the longest time, The Bear family consisted of Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Brother Bear and Sister Bear. This balance was undone with the introduction of Honey Bear in 2000.

* ''[[Chronicles of Narnia]]''

** ''[[The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]]'' has two boys (Peter and Edmund) and two girls (Susan and Lucy)

** ''[[Prince Caspian]]'' has the same two boys and two girls, although that one also has Caspian as the protagonist of the B plot, so it blurs the line.

** ''[[The Horse and His Boy]]'' has one male human and one female human and one male horse and one female horse.

* [[Enid Blyton]] - Her works often consist of a gender balanced group of children, sometimes supplemented by a pet.

** ''[[The Famous Five]]'' - Not counting the dog, the titular ensemble consists of two boys (Julian and Dick) and two girls (Georgina and Anne)

** ''The Adventure Series - Two boys (Phillip and Jack) and two girls (Dinah and Luck-Ann)

** ''The Secret Series'' - Two boys (Jack and Mike) and two girls (Peggy and Nora)

** ''The Far Away Tree'' - The second book has two boys and two girls.

** ''The Adventurous Four''- Two boys (Tom and Andy) and twin sisters (Jill and Mary)

** ''Six Cousin Series'' - Three boys (Jack, Cyril and Roderick) and three girls (Jane, Susan and Melisande)

* ''[[The Roman Mysteries]]'' - The [[Four-Temperament Ensemble|four]] [[Kid Detective|Kid Detectives]]s that make up the main characters include two girls (Flavia and Nubia) and two boys (Jonathan and Lupus).

* ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'' - To a certain degree, this series follows this by having a trio of males and a trio of females as the main characters, though it is rare that all six are in the same place at once or even directly communicating with each other.

* ''[[Friends]]'' has three boys (Ross, Chandler and Joey) and three girls (Monica, Rachel and Phoebe).

** [[Happy Endings]]: Three boys (Dave, Max, Brad), Three girls (Jane, Alex, Penny), makes sense as it's a [[Spiritual Successor]] to the show.

* ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]'' - The titular family has two males (Jed and Jethro) and two females (Granny and Elly). Additional regular characters include two males (Milburn and Sonny Drysdale) and two females (Margaret Drysdale and Jane Hathaway).

* ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'' - Not counting the housekeeper, the titular family consists of one father with three boys and one mother with three daughters.

* ''[[Coupling]]'' - Three boys (Steve, Patrick and Jeff) and three girls (Sally, Susan and Jane). This was enough to get it described constantly as the [[Trans -Atlantic Equivalent]] of ''[[Friends]]'', when it wasn't much like it at all.

* ''[[ICarlyiCarly]]'' - Interpretation of exactly what 'counts' for the trope can lead to this trope being played straight or averted.

* [[Persona 4]] has this. {{spoiler|There's Protag, Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie, then there's Chie, Yukiko, Rise, and Naoto.}}

* Even [[Persona 3]] has this as of FES. Male MC, Junpei, Akihiko, Shinjiro, Ken, and Koromaru, then [[Fe MC]], Yukari, Mitsuru, Fuuka, Aigis, and Metis.

** ...doesn't stop there, either. [[Persona 2]]: Innocent Sin has Tatsuya, Eikichi, and Jun, then Maya, Lisa, and Yukino.

** ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'' - The main party consists of three guys (Squall, Zell, Irvine) and three girls (Rinoa, Quistis, Selphie).

* ''[[Pilotwings|Pilotwings 64:]]'' Three male pilots (Lark, Goose, Hawk) and three female pilots (Kiwi, Ibis, Robin).

* ''[[Dragon Age]]: Origins'' has four female Companions (Morrigan, Leliana, Wynne, and {{spoiler|Shale}}) and four male (Alistair {{spoiler|who is optionally replaced by Teyrn Loghain}}, Sten, Zevran, and Oghren). And a (male) [[Non-Human Sidekick|dog]]. However, you don't have to recruit ''all'' of them and depending on whether you view [[AFGNCAAPFeatureless Protagonist|the Warden]] as a ensemble member, the balance can be tipped to either side.

** ''[[Dragon Age II]]'' follows the suit with four females (Bethany, Aveline, Merrill, Isabela) and four males (Carver, Varric, Anders, Fenris). However, Bethany and Carver are [[Mutually Exclusive Party Members]] and the [[DLCDownloadable Content]]-only male Companion Sebastian can either restore the gender parity or skew it even further. The same [[AFGNCAAPFeatureless Protagonist]] disclaimer applies about the [[Player Character]].

** In the second, if the player character is light sided on Nar Shaddaa (and thus gets Mira instead of Hanharr), the party again has four males (Atton, Bao-Dur, Mandalore, and Disciple or [[Player Character|the Exile]]) and four females (Kreia, Mira, Visas, and Handmaiden or [[Player Character|the Exile]]).

* ''[[Wild ArmsARMs 2]]'' has three male playable characters (Ashley, Brad, and Tim) and three females (Lilka, Kanon, and Marivel).

* ''[[The PlayersPlayer's Guide toTo SISUS.I.S.U.]]'' - Three female [[Player Character|PCs]], three male [[Player Character|PCs]]. And on top of that, three female players, three male players.

* ''[[Sixteen6teen]]'' - Three boys (Jonesy, Jude and Wyatt) and three girls (Nikki, Jen and Caitlin).

* ''[[The Magic School Bus]]'', if you don't count Ms. Frizzle, has four boys and four girls.

* ''[[Young Justice]]'' ends season one with four guys and four girls, thanks to adding several [[Affirmative Action Girl|Affirmative Action Girls]]s since its all-male premiere.

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